Tobias and Tris - Best Friends
by TheTrueDivergent
Summary: [COMPLETE] Modern day AU. Tobias and Tris were inseparable, and were best friends. But what happens when Tobias leaves Tris unexpectedly? Read to find out. (Disclaimer: I don't own the book or the image)
1. Chapter 1

**UPDATE: My writing is this chapter is not my best work. While it may be choppy here, I think that the writing in the future chapters is much more enjoyable. I hope you give this a chance. Thanks.**

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Chapter 1

 **BEATRICE - 8 YEARS OLD**

Today, I was walking through the streets after school. My brother, Caleb, is barely a year older than me, but he is walking with Susan, a girl he has a crush on. So I'm all alone. Or so I thought, because I suddenly bump into another boy.

"Oops!" the boy says. He has the brightest, bluest eyes I've ever seen. "Sorry, let me help you" he says, extending a hand.

"Thanks," I reply quietly, being the shy girl that I am. I begin to scurry past him when he stops me, asking, "What's your name?"

"I'm Beatrice Prior. I'm eight years old" I say.

"I'm Tobias Eaton, and I'm nine years old." he states, proudly.

"Nice to meet you," I say politely.

"Likewise. Well, I'll see you around, Bea," he says, smirking.

"Bea?" I question. I'm beginning to like this guy.

"Yeah, Bea," he says.

"Okay. Well, I'll see you later, Toby," I say, smirking. Then I walk away.

 **BEATRICE - THE NEXT DAY**

One of the older kids at school stole my lunch. Again. I don't understand why they do it. Maybe it's because I'm such an easy target.

I sit at a lonely table, when I hear a familiar voice. "Hey, Bea!" Only one person calls me that: Tobias. "Where's your lunch?" he asks.

"Hi Toby. Someone stole my lunch," I say, hanging my head low in shame.

"It's okay," he says. "You can have some of mine," he offers.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be of inconvenience..." I start.

"Just eat it," he says, in a commanding but friendly way.

After a few moments of comfortable silence, he says, "You know what, Bea? I think we'll be great friends."

 **BEATRICE - 12 YEARS OLD**

It's been four years since I met Tobias. Four wonderful and fun-filled years. We've grown very close as friends; we're practically inseparable.

I'm currently sitting at secret spot behind the park today, where Toby told me he would meet me. We only go there when we have something bothering us that we need to say. It's the place where Tobias told me about how his father, Marcus, beats him. It gives me the shivers just thinking about him.

"Hey, Bea," Toby says from behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hey, Toby. Come sit," I say, patting the spot next to me. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't know how to say this," he says, rubbing his neck like he does when he's nervous.

"Hey," I say softly, "you know you can tell me anything, right?"

He nods, then takes a deep breath before saying, "I'm moving,"

What? MOVING? You can't leave me, Toby! My mind screams, but I contain these thoughts, needing to stay strong for Tobias. "When?" I whisper.

"Tomorrow," he says. "Sorry, Bea, I would have told you sooner, but I didn't know how," he confesses.

"It's okay, Toby," I say, tears threatening to spill.

"I got you something," he says. He takes out a box from his pocket and opens it, revealing a shiny necklace, with the letter "T" on it. "Here. I have the bracelet one, see?" he says, pointing to his wrist. "This way, we'll never forget each other, no matter where we are."

"Thank you, Tobias." I say, tears already cascading down my face. "Toby, I'll miss you so much"

"I'll miss you too, Bea" he says, wiping my tears.

We sit there in each others arms for a few hours. But when he gets up to leave and say a final goodbye, I can't help but think that I'll never see him again.

 **TRIS - 16 YEARS OLD**

It's been another four years. Four years without Tobias. And so much has happened since then.

When Tobias was with me, he introduced me to some of his friends. But a few months after he left, they started ignoring me. Then a year later the bullying started, and not just by them, but by many of the other kids, too. They pushed me onto lockers and continued to steal my lunch. I guess the only reason I was friends with these people was because of Tobias.

Two years after Tobias left, I still was having a hard time coping with school and him leaving me. But then the unthinkable happened. I still remember how the day went...

"Dad?" I asked after I had gotten home from school. I saw his car in the garage, which was strange since Dad never comes home until dinner time.

 _I walked into the living room, and there he was: crying with a blotchy face. He was watching the news. "What's going on, Dad?" I questioned._

 _"Beatrice," he began, "It's your mom... she...she's dead," he said before bursting into tears again._

 _My mom had gone on one of her few business trips. Turns out her plane crashed._

 _A few more months passed, and we were all trying to cope with the death in our own ways. Then one night, my dad came home, drunk._

 _"Beatrice!" he yelled. I ran down the stairs, scared. I had never seen my dad in this state before._

 _"Yes, dad?" I asked._

 _"Turn around!" he said, and began taking off his belt. I knew what he was going to do; Tobias said that Marcus did this to him too._

 _And then the first lash came down. I lost count after fifty. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, he said, "Not a word about this to your brother. Now GO!" he yelled and passed out._

So I never told Caleb what was going on. And the bullying never stopped, too. But now my dad got a business offer in Chicago, which means that I have to go to a new school. And I plan on bringing a new identity with me.

I am no longer Beatrice, who believes that anything could happen. My name is Tris, the girl who blends in the background but remains brave. Tris, the one who never lets her guard down. Because if there's one thing I've learned in this world, it's that anything could happen. And you never know who you can trust.

 **TOBIAS**

The day I left Bea, I was devastated. I didn't know how I was going to live without her. But at least the move would give me a new identity. One that isn't directly related with my father. I go to Divergent University in Chicago. I am no longer Tobias; my name is Four, based on my jersey number from football. I am just your typical jock. I made some new friends, including Peter and Eric, and they are the best. We tend to bully other kids a lot, but I mainly do it because I don't want others to know about Marcus. Plus, I don't want anyone to know of Bea. My one and only weakness. And I promised myself that I would leave the past behind. Along with that, many girls are interested in me, but I don't really care about them, again for the same reasons.

So, all in all, life is great.

But in other news, I heard that there is a new girl coming to school tomorrow.

And I can't wait to crush her.

 **TRIS**

I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring. I groan. It's the first day of school today. I get up and wear a black sweatshirt on top of a black tank top, with black ripped jeans and my black Vans. Black is my new favorite color. I climb down the stairs, hoping to avoid Andrew. I no longer call him dad. He doesn't deserve that name anymore. Unfortunately, there he is, at the bottom of the stairs.

"Good morning, Beatrice," he says, "I expect you to set high expectations at school today, or you will /emreceive an extra beating,"

"Yes, sir," I mumble, grabbing an apple for breakfast and quickly exiting the house.

 ***PAGE BREAK***

After receiving my schedule from the main office, I try to find my locker. In my haste I bump into a girl with tan skin and a pearly white smile.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she says, then extending a hand, says, "I'm Christina. You must be the new girl!"

"Umm... Yeah. My name is Tris," I say, shaking her hand.

"Cool. Let me see your schedule!" she says, snatching the paper out of my hand. "Wow! We have almost all clases together! And our lockers are near each other!" she exclaims. "Come on! I'll introduce you to the gang," She grabs my arm and drags me past swarms of people. When we finally stop, she points to a bunch of people, saying, "This is the gang. They're all super nice," she says.

"Hey guys!" Christina says. They all turn so that they are facing us. "This is Tris," she says, pointing to me. "Tris, this is Will, Zeke, Shauna, Marlene, and Uriah," she says. I give them a curt nod.

"So Tris," the tall and tan boy, who I think Christina said is Uriah, "what classes do you have?" I hand him my schedule. "SWEET!" he yells, causing the people in the hallway to turn in his direction. "We all have the same classes! Well, except for biology" he says. "Come on, let's go to English," And with that, we walk to our next class.

It is now biology, the one class that I don't have with any of my new friends. I take a seat in the back corner of the classroom. Shortly after being seated, three guys walk up to my desk. One of them has a sick smile on his face, the other has tattoos on his arm, and the last one...

The last one has eyes like my Toby.

"Well, well, well," one of them says. "Look at the stiff!" he says. "I'm Peter, and this is Eric," he says, pointing to the tattooed guy, "and Four" he says, gesturing to the boy who reminds me of Toby. Then he snatches my backpack and looks inside. "Oh, where's your lunch? Oh wait, it's good that you don't have any... you're too fat for food!" he says, and cackles along with his friends. Peter is right though; I'm too fat and ugly to eat lunch. Then he throws my backpack to the floor and whispers, "This isn't the last that you've seen of me," and walks away.

I came to this school to be brave. To forget the bullies. And these bullies will not be able to break the walls that I set up before coming here.

 **FOUR**

I have biology now. I see a girl sitting in the back corner of the classroom. She must be the new girl. She has stormy grey-blue eyes... she reminds me of Bea. But there's no way she could be Bea. I promised myself I wouldn't try remembering her again.

"Well, well, well," Peter says. "Look at the stiff!" he says. "I'm Peter, and this is Eric and Four" he says. Then he snatches the girl's backpack and looks inside. "Oh, where's your lunch? Oh wait, it's good that you don't have any... you're too fat for food!" he says, and cackles. But I notice her actual features, and she's actually the opposite of what Peter said. She's pretty pale, and actually quite skinny, but I laugh along anyways. Something in me wants me to stop them, but I quickly refrain myself. Then Peter throws her backpack to the floor and whispers something in her ear. I can't resist the sudden urge to comfort her, but I push this thought aside as the class begins.

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 **A/N: Please let me know what you think of this story and whether or not I should continue it. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **TRIS**

After a boring science lesson, I exit the class and walk to the cafeteria. Christina told me to meet her there for lunch. I don't actually plan on eating anything, though. On my way over, I keep noticing Peter and Eric staring at me. They give me the creeps.

When I get there, I immediately see the rest of the gang sitting at a long table. I take a seat next to Christina.

Then I see a tall boy walking over to our table, the same one from Science class. He has beautiful blue eyes. They remind me of Toby. I miss him so much...

"Hey, man! Are you coming to football practice today?" Zeke says.

"No, sorry, that's what I came to tell you about," Four says, rubbing his neck. Also like Toby.

"That's cool, man, I'll tell coach,"

"Great, thanks," he says and walks away again.

"Hey, Tris, where is your lunch?" Uriah asks.

"I...uhh..." I can't tell these people that I don't normally eat lunch! "I left it at home," I lie, looking down.

"Oh," is all he says, and the discussions continue. I tune out for most of it, fantasizing a world where Tobias and I are together again.

Soon, lunch is over and the gang and I are walking to Music. I hope that the teacher is nice and that she doesn't make me sing. The last time I sang was before my mom died. She used to sing songs to me and I would sing to her, too.

"Hi class, my name is Tori and I'll be your music teacher for this year," she says. "I want everyone to perform a song in front of the class to begin our year. Let's begin,"

Great. Now I have to sing. I don't think I can do this without crying.

I watch as my friends go on stage and perform. Soon enough it is Four's turn.

"I'm going to sing a song that I sang my friend a long time ago," he says, keeping eye contact with me the entire time. He grabs the ukulele and starts singing.

 _If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea,_  
 _I'll sail the world to find you_  
 _If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see,_  
 _I'll be the light to guide you_

 _Find out what we're made of_  
 _When we are called to help our friends in need_

 _You can count on me like one two three_  
 _I'll be there_  
 _And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two_  
 _You'll be there_  
 _'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah_

 _Whoa, whoa_  
 _Oh, oh_  
 _Yeah, yeah_

 _If you tossin' and you're turnin' and you just can't fall asleep_  
 _I'll sing a song_  
 _Beside you_  
 _And if you ever forget how much you really mean to me_  
 _Everyday I will_  
 _Remind you_

 _Ooh_  
 _Find out what we're made of_  
 _When we are called to help our friends in need_

 _You can count on me like one two three_  
 _I'll be there_  
 _And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two_  
 _You'll be there_  
 _'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah_

 _Oh, oh_  
 _Yeah, yeah_

 _You'll always have my shoulder when you cry_  
 _I'll never let go_  
 _Never say goodbye_  
 _You know you can_

 _Count on me like one two three_  
 _I'll be there_  
 _And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two_  
 _And you'll be there_  
 _'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah_

 _Oh, oh_  
 _You can count on me 'cause I can count on you_

By the end of the song, Four has tears in his eyes and I am completely blown away. Could this be Tobias?

I push the impossible thought aside and continue watching the rest of the class perform. Then Tori calls my name. I nearly have a panic attack, but quickly regain my composure and say, "Tori, can I talk to you for a second?" She gives me a weird look, but follows me towards the back of the classroom.

"I was wondering if instead of singing I could, I don't know, play the piano?" I say. My mom and I used to play the piano sometimes. Even though my parents thought that listening to music was an act of selfishness, my mom would sometimes teach me. I would probably still feel pretty emotional playing the piano, at least my voice wouldn't break.

"You're going to need a good excuse not to sing. I made every student in this class sing, so make it good,"

"Well, singing just reminds me a lot of my mom. We used to sing all the time. She died a few years ago," I confess, drooping my head.

"Okay, Tris," she says, nodding, "you can play the piano. I'm sorry about your mom,"

"Thanks so much Tori," I say, giving her a genuine smile and taking my seat just before the bell rings.

When it is finally my turn, I take a deep breath and walk towards the piano. I hear a few murmurs going around, people wondering why I'm playing the piano instead of singing. I push them to the back of my mind and focus on what my mother taught me.

 _"Okay, Bea," Mom said. "Put your right hand pinky finger on A and your left hand pinky finger on F," she says, and guides my hands towards the corresponding keys. "Take a deep breath, and forget everything else," she said. I followed her directions and let my fingers guide me through the melody._

I follow the directions. I take a deep breath and begin playing our favorite song: _River Flows in You_ by Yiruma. The song is so calming and it reminds me of how my life was perfect just a few years ago. I remember how Tobias and I were best friends, and how he climbed into my room one day while I was playing this same song. I smile weakly at the memory.

At the end of the song, people stare at me, but then, the class erupts into applause. I blush and take my seat again, not failing to notice how Four is looking at me.

* * *

 **FOUR**

Science was so boring. I kept finding myself looking at the new girl. Something about her intrigued me. As the bell rings, I get up from my seat and head over to the cafeteria. When I get to our table, I find the new girl sitting at Zeke's table next to Christina.

"Hey, man! Are you coming to football practice today?" Zeke says once I approach him.

"No, sorry, that's what I came to tell you about," I say. I can't tell them that Marcus might beat me unconscious if I don't make him dinner on time. Apparently we have to go to a guests house tonight, which means I have to keep the house clean and make him a dish to provide them.

"That's cool, man, I'll tell coach,"

"Great, thanks," I say and begin walking away.

On my way to my regular lunch seat I overhear Uriah saying, "Hey, Tris, where is your lunch?" Uriah asks.

"I...uhh..." she says "I left it at home," she says, looking down. Funny how Bea also did that whenever she didn't want to share something.

When I finally sit back down at our lunch table, Peter asks, "What were you doing with _those_ losers?"

"Chill, dude, I was just asking Zeke to tell coach that I won't make football practice." Just then Eric plops down next to me.

"That new girl in science is such an easy target. I bet we could break her in this week," Peter nods in agreement, and they begin planning.

Then, I see Tris meeting my eyes across the cafeteria and looking at me weirdly. She has the same look in her eyes like Bea when she used to analyze things. Why does this girl remind me of Bea so much?

I have Music after this, and Tori is probably going to make the class sing a song like she does every year. Since this girl is just like Bea, I decide to is sing a song that both of us know.

I watch the rest of the class perform some songs. Then Tori calls on me. I make my way to the stage and say, "I'm going to sing a song that I sang my friend a long time ago," keeping eye contact with Tris the entire time, hoping she realizes who I am.

Throughout the song, I see Tris still analyzing me. Maybe she isn't Bea. She must be one of those sluts and is trying to figure out how to get in my pants. Disappointed, I take my seat again, waiting for the end of class and listen to the other performances.

When Tori calls on Tris, she signals Tori towards the back of the room and they have a private conversation. Then Tris walks to the stage, and instead of taking the microphone, she heads over to the piano. Whispers go around, but Tris ignores them and plays a beautiful melody. I feel like I've heard this song before, but I can't quite put my finger on it. When she finishes, the class applauds and she blushes (much like Bea would), and takes her seat. There's something about this girl that I intend to find out.

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 **A/N: Credit to Bruno Mars for 'Count on Me' and to Yiruma for 'River Flows in You'.**

 **How was this chapter? Review and let me** **know! Also, you should definitely check out River Flows in You... it sounds amazing and I would totally recommend it!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **TRIS**

After Music, I have a free period, so I decide to go to the library and finish my homework so that I can relax at home. My plans are soon interrupted, however, when I see two people walking in my direction, whom I recognize as Eric and Peter. Hoping that they ignore me, I drop my head a little, avoiding their eye contact, and pick up my pace. My attempt to go unseen is foiled once they start smiling and walking towards me. I see Four joining them as well. Now I know for sure that this guy is _not_ Tobias. Tobias would never do something like this. My thoughts are interrupted as I am slammed against a locker. I wince.

"Aw, don't act so _Stiff!_ " Peter says, getting close to my face and gripping my shirt. Instinctively I shrink back.

"Hey!" I hear and quickly turn my head. I see Christina walking towards us. This first day has been even more crazy than normal thanks to her constant chirpiness, and this is the first time today that I am excited to see her. "Let go of her!" she yells. A few teachers turn towards her direction, and Peter lets go of me. They are about to walk away until Four slams his hand against the locker, which I notice contains a bracelet, and whispers, "Don't get too comfy with your friends. You'll regret ever coming here," then he walks away with his friends.

I shiver and the events and Christina is immediately at my side. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry Tris! I just had to ask a question to Tori and I-"

"I'm fine, Christina. Let's just go to the library," I say, wishing to end the conversation. She takes the hint and we walk in silence to the library.

"It wasn't always like this, you know," she says suddenly.

"What do you mean?"

"Peter and Eric. They weren't always like this. Sure, they used to bully people from time to time, but once Four came, everything changed. Four seemed like a nice guy once he moved here, but he got involved with the wrong type of people, and here we are. Peter and Eric used him, I guess," she says.

"Wow. I wonder where Four moved from. And seriously, what made him friends with the wrong kind of people?" I ask, for once grateful for Christina's gossip.

"That will remain a mystery. I don't want to ask him, I mean, look at him!" she says, and I nod in agreement. We enter the library and finish up our homework before heading back home.

* * *

I arrive home, grateful that Andrew isn't home, and notice the note on the counter.

 _We have guests coming over. I expect you to make dinner and keep the house tidy before I get home._

Of course I have to make the dinner tonight. I sigh and start by taking the peas out of the fridge.

* * *

By 5:30, I have already set the table and made the dinner. I'm running behind schedule, so I'm rushing to clean the kitchen before Andrew gets home. Of course, luck is never on my side, because he returns home just as I am beginning to clean up.

"I thought I told you to clean up before I got home!" he yells, and I wince, knowing what will come. "I can't trust you with anything!" he slaps me across the cheek and I stumble. That is sure to leave a bruise _and_ we have guests over. They'll probably notice it. Great.

His eyes widen once he realizes that my face has a big bruise on it. "You b*tch! You should have warned me before I slapped you!" I resist rolling my eyes and remain silent. "You won't be getting any dinner tonight. Go to your room, and don't come back down!" I guess that means that I don't have to deal with the guests either. I hurry up the stairs and to my room and close the door, then remove the stash of food that I hide under my bed and eat a granola bar. Then I apply ice to my face, hoping reduce the swelling for school tomorrow.

A few minutes later, I hear to doorbell ring, and hear Andrew opening the door. "Marcus and Tobias! Come in. It has been a while since I've seen you last, hasn't it!" Immediately I freeze. Tobias? Tobias _Eaton_? What are the chances that I would have moved to where _he_ lives? My heart races and soon I can't contain myself. Quietly, I open the door and peep through the stairs banister. I see his blue eyes, which remind me of Four. Four? Then it all clicks.

Four is Tobias. Tobias is Four.

How is this possible? Tobias was kind and compassionate and funny. Four is cold and rude and a bully. But it makes sense though. Four has the same bracelet that Tobias had, he has the same unique eye color, and Christina said that Four moved a long time ago.

I retreat to my room, pondering the ways by which I can tell Four that I am Bea.

* * *

 **FOUR**

When I get home from school today, I immediately get the food ready to take to Andrew Prior's house. The news of their arrival at Chicago shocked me, because that would mean that I could finally see Beatrice. I was nervous and excited, an emotion that I rarely carried.

The front door slams and I know that Marcus is home. "Have you finished making the food?" he questions. I simply display the platter, to which he nods approvingly. "Go get dressed, we're leaving in five minutes,"

Once I'm ready we walk over to the Prior residence, since their house is on our street. I ring the doorbell and Andrew opens the door for us.

"Marcus and Tobias! Come in. It has been a while since I've seen you last, hasn't it!" he says, opening the door wider to allows to enter.

"Yes it has, Andrew. Thank you for inviting us." Marcus says, and we sit on the dining table. One seat is empty, though. Where is Bea?

"Sorry for asking, sir, but where is Beatrice?" I ask without thinking. Marcus glares at me, probably planning my next beating. It's worth it though, if I can finally see Bea.

"She's not feeling well, Tobias, but I'll let her know that you asked," he says, and Marcus and Andrew continue discussing work. I tune out for most of it though, fantasizing me reuniting with Bea.

Hopefully I can see her soon.

 **A/N: How's the story going so far? Review and let me** **know! Also tell me if there are any errors... I didn't have time to proofread it.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **TRIS**

I get up the next day in my own bed for once, since Andrew isn't there to lock me up in the closet. I cherish this while it lasts; I bet he will beat me even more today due to the events of last night. I dress into a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans. I'm looking forward to school today... I really want to see Tobias.

When I arrive at school I avoid as much contact or interactions with others as possible and scuttle towards my locker, trying to keep myself in check. I stuff my books in my locker. Christina is leaning against the locker next to me, waiting for me. I follow her and the rest of the gang to our first class of the day.

* * *

It's lunch, and things couldn't go slower. The only class that I have with Tobias is Music and Biology, none of which we have today since our school follows a block schedule. I almost enter the cafeteria when I see Four and Peter walking towards me. This could not be good. Marlene, who shared the class that I just had, is in the bathroom and insisted that I start lunch without her, so I am walking alone. They snatch my backpack that was hanging on my shoulder, dump the contents on the floor, and walk away. I sigh, frustrated and gather my belongings again. Seriously, _how_ could Four be Tobias? It makes no sense, but all evidence points towards it. I'm starting to doubt even telling Tobias that I am Bea. He seems to be doing fine without me.

* * *

It's been another month, and I have given up on all hope of telling Tobias that I am Bea. He always bullies me. During the first week, he kept slamming me against lockers. On the second week, he teased and called me names in the hallways, turning my peers against me. The third week, he would take my apple, the only lunch that I carry. This week, he started putting mean and rude notes in my locker. I'm going insane, but I can't tell him that. I have to be strong.

Today, though, life seems to be completely against me. Last night, Andrew beat the crap out of me for putting too much salt in the dinner, then this morning I woke up late with a sore back, during Gym the cuts from my back nearly reopened, and now Four and his posey are walking towards me. Kill me now, please.

I hide behind the locker, trying to avoid them, but as usual, it does nothing. Four slams his hand against the locker, causing me to flinch. They erupt into laughter once they see my weakness.

"Hey Trissy," Four says, using the nickname that I absolutely _despise._ "Where are your friends? Are they not there to save the day?" he asks as his friends smile smugly.

That is _it._ I am done. Done with being weak and most certainly done with _him._

"What do you know about friends, Four? Last time I checked, you left one behind," his face pales slightly, but he quickly gains his composure. I feast on his weakness and continue.

"I know that you visited her last month. But she didn't want to see you, did she?" by now his face is as white as a sheet of paper and he's lost his charm.

"You...You know Bea?" he whispers, seeming weaker and weaker by the moment. I didn't know that I had such an affect on him. It makes me feel good, but I quickly get back to my original mission.

"Bea doesn't exist anymore. She died." I say. It's true. Tobias left Bea behind when he moved. Tris took the place of Bea.

"What?" his voice is scratchy and can barely be heard. He sinks to his knees. By now, a crowd has gathered around. This would surely make quite a lot of gossip.

"How do you know all of this?" he finally asks.

"How do I know?" I take out the necklace that he gave me years ago. "I know because I am her."

A few moments of silence pass by. Then a tear escapes Four's eyes and he lays on the floor, crying quietly into the palms of his hands. The bell rings and people leave to go to their next class, but him and I remain.

He extends a shaky hand in my direction. "Beatrice," he whispers. I step back.

"Don't touch me," I demand, and walk away. Sure, this wasn't the way I wanted the events to play out, but now that it has happened, there is nothing we can do. All I can hope is that one day Tobias and I can be friends again.

But so far, it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon.

* * *

 **FOUR**

School has been great. Tris, the new girl, is such an easy target. It has been pretty fun to watch her break as we teased her. If I have to admit it, however, I sometimes I think that these actions are turning me into my father, but I quickly remind myself that Bea is the one who I am protecting.

Speaking of Bea, I haven't seen her at school or around town. I've searched for almost two weeks straight following the dinner, but no one seems to know her. What if something happened to her?

I am snapped out of my thoughts once I see Tris opening her locker. Quietly, I walk over to her locker, then slam her hand on her locker. She jumps, frightened, and I laugh. Fear isn't supposed to shut you down, it should wake you up.

"Hey Trissy," I say, using that nickname that I know she hates. "Where are your friends? Are they not there to save the day?" I ask. I watch as her face changes from one of sadness to one of anger.

"What do you know about friends, Four? Last time I checked, you left one behind," she says. Bea. I can feel my face pale slightly, but I am certain that I must have left a few notes about her here or there. She defiantly doesn't know about her. Apparently no one does.

She must take my silence as an invitation to continue speaking, because she says, "I know that you visited her last month. But she didn't want to see you, did she?" Bea. Bea. Bea. She knows Bea. How? Words and actions become hard for me as I picture my best friend, crying when I tell her that I'm moving.

"You...You know Bea?" That's all I can say. Thoughts are buzzing through my head quickly, but I can't seem to express any of them.

"Bea doesn't exist anymore. She died," Tris says, and something inside me deflates. I sink to my knees. She _died_? All I can imagine is that twelve year old girl in a pool of her own blood. I _refuse_ to believe that Bea has died.

"How do you know all of this?" I ask in a last attempt to remain sane.

"How do I know?" she says, taking out a necklace. One that looks all too familiar. "I know because I am her."

No.

No, no, no.

I feel like my whole world is collapsing. Bea is the one person who made me feel alive. She made me feel things that I never felt with anyone else. I bullied other people to feel superior, so that they wouldn't pry and ask questions about Bea. And now I find out that Bea is Tris, the girl whom I've been bullying. I've hurt her so much, she's never going to come back to me.

Slowly, I extend my arm out to her. "Beatrice," I whisper, testing the name on my tongue for what seems to be the first time in years. If she doesn't accept my hand, then I know that I have failed her. And if I fail her, then I've failed at life.

"Don't touch me," she says and walks towards her next class and what seems to be out of my life.

I've failed. I'm done.

But the only thing that is going through my mind as I see her mix in with the swarm of teenagers is

 _Come back to me._

* * *

 **A/N: Another chapter because once I started typing I couldn't stop :)**

 **Did I do justice to Tobias' POV? How was this chapter? Review with your thoughts!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **TRIS**

When I get home from school on that day, Andrew isn't home. I decide to take this to my advantage and whip up something to eat quickly, before heading to my room to bed. I finished all of my homework at school, and I'm exhausted from the emotional activity from school today.

 _After leaving Four on the ground, I walk towards my next class, English. Since none of my friends had reached class yet, I took a seat at the back of the class. That's when the whispers started._

 _"There's the girl that made Four cry!" one girl whispered to her friend, who was staring at her wide eyed._

 _"Her? But she's so small! What could_ she _have done?" she responded._

 _The whispers continued and soon I reached my breaking point. I reached for my phone and headphones and blast Demons by Imagine Dragons. I love this song so much because it is one of the songs that I can truly relate to. Everyone has demons that are hiding inside of them, some smaller than others. My biggest demon is probably Andrew._

 _Thinking about my bigger problems washes away the small ones, and soon, the bell rings, signaling the end of gossip and the start of a new type of torture._

As soon as my head hits the pillow I go to sleep, dreaming about a certain blue eyed boy.

* * *

 _I'm at my old school. I can see the eight year old me again. "Toby!" I say once I see him exit the school. "Race you back home!"_ _I yell, then I start running._

 _"Hey, no_ _fair!" he yells as he runs to catch up to me. In the end the race ends in a tie. That's the way it was. We did everything together._

* * *

 _Nine year old Beatrice and ten year old Tobias are excitedly putting on their skates at the ice-skating rink near our house. "Come on, Toby!" I say, having already tied my laces._

 _"Calm down, Bea, I'm coming," he says, then steps onto the rink. After he takes his first few steps he falls. Very clumsily. I burst into laughter and eventually so does he. Sure, we get a few stares, but as long as the two of us know what we were doing, who cares?_

* * *

 _The ten year old me stands in front of Tobias' window, holding medical supplies and some food. I remember that this was the time when Tobias told me that he gets beaten. I quietly open the window and enter his room. It looked exactly like mine. I open the closet, and there he is, sitting in dried blood._

 _"Oh, Tobias," I say, feeling bad that my best friend has to go through so much torture._

 _"Beatrice! What are you doing here?" he says, using my full name to emphasize my unapproved arrival._

 _"Relax, I'll be done before you know it." I lift up his shirt slowly and retain a gasp when I see his back. Quickly, I apply some of the ointment that I had gotten._

 _"Here, eat this," I say, handing him an apple and banana. He takes them willingly and scarfs them down. Seeing my friend like this brings tears to my eyes._

 _"Hey now, why are you crying?" Tobias asks, brushing_ _his hand across my face. "I'm fine, see? You've helped me a lot. Thank you,"  
_

 _"No, Toby, you can't keep living like this. I'm going to get Marcus, I'm telling you-"_

 _"Bea, don't. Please. I don't want anyone to think I'm a coward. Please Bea. You help me get through it. Knowing that I have a best friend like you is all I really need," Then we hear the front door open. Marcus must be home._

 _"I'll see you later, Bea." he says, hurriedly. I nod and close the closet, still feeling guilt for my best friend. It isn't right._

* * *

 _I'm in front of my house this_ _time. Eleven year old Beatrice and twelve year old Tobias are sitting in my room._

 _"Toby," I moan, staring at my homework. "I don't get this,"_

 _"Tough luck," he says, smirking._

 _I throw a wadded up piece of paper in his direction. "Help me!"_

 _He groans and takes a look at my algebra homework. Then he looks back at me and shrugs._

 _"Hey!" I say. "Aren't you a grade above me? You're supposed to be the smart one!"_

 _"We both know that's not true," he says, smiling. I laugh at his bluntness and continue with the problem set._

* * *

 _We're sitting in a meadow a few minutes away from our houses. Tobias is sitting, his legs outstretched, leaning against a tree, and I am sitting in a similar fashion, leaning against Tobias. Tobias is playing with my hands, tracing patterns and shapes with his fingers. This memory is a few months before Tobias moved, so I am twelve and Tobias is thirteen._

 _There are no words passed. These were the moments which I missed the most. Sometimes we would sit for hours on end in complete silence, and we were joined, and together, we knew everything._

 _"Can I ask you something, Bea?" Tobias says suddenly._

 _"Of course, Toby," I say, concerned._

 _"What is love?" he asks. I am taken aback by this question. Does he have a crush on someone?_

 _"Love? I guess love is when... you would do anything for a certain person," I say honestly. I've seen the way Dad looks at Mom. I know they would risk their lives for each other in a heartbeat._

 _"Then I love you, Beatrice," he says, and I can hear the full sincerity in his voice. I guess he is right, though. I know that I would do anything for Tobias if he ever needed it._

 _"I love you, too," I reply. He_ _squeezes my hand and lifts it to his mouth, kissing it softly._

* * *

I am woken by a belt slapping me across my back. I gasp and I know who it is immediately.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU MAKE ME ANY DINNER?" he yells, and I can smell alcohol in his breath. "TURN AROUND, AND TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT!"

I gulp and comply. _Inhale. Exhale. Inhale-_

I feel the slap of the belt across my back, and I choke back a sob. After what seems like eternity, he stops beating me and passes out cold. I run to the bathroom and try fixing up my back as best I can. Then I fall back to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

The next day, I wake up with a sore back. I enter the shower and peel off the bandages that I had applied the night before. I wince at the contact of my skin with water. Then I quickly get dressed and head to school. I don't know what I would do if Four was at school today. Part of me wants to tell him about my abuse, knowing that Tobias had gone through the same thing, but I also know that Four is Four, and he might not even take me seriously.

When I get to school, I realize that Four is indeed not at school, and for some reason, a part of me is sad. I clasp my necklace in my hand. I know that even though he might have changed, the true Tobias is always with me.

* * *

 **FOUR**

Ever since the day that I realized that Tris was Bea, I haven't gone to school. I hacked Marcus' email account and sent an email to the school saying that I would be out of town for two days with him. In reality, I'm moping around the house, keeping to myself and avoiding all contact as possible. This wasn't hard though; people who I took as friends, such as Peter and Eric, didn't even call or text me to see if I was okay.

The second day of my absence I took a chance and checked my social media. I wasn't surprised when I found people criticizing Tris and sluts asking me if I was okay or not. But I also found people making fun of me for losing my demeanor, which was really not appreciated. I guess that was the way Tris felt when I bullied her.

Hoping to forget, I leave the house and take a jog to the school. I put Demons by Imagine Dragons on repeat as I run. The song is the only one that I can truly connect to, and I often listen to it after I receive a beating from Marcus. It reminds me that there are other people who are going through even more difficult problems, and helps me forget about how big my problems may seem.

When I finally get to the school, I head to the track and do some sprints. The cold air whips against me as I run and I concentrate on the sound of my feet pounding against the pavement. By my fifth sprint, I hear voices. I quickly gather my stuff, hoping that they haven't seen me yet, but no such luck.

"Hi Four!" I hear. It sounds like Uriah. I turn around, and sure enough, there he is with his brother, Zeke. I spin around again and continue walking, avoiding them. Eventually they decide to run to catch up with me, and since I am too tired to try to outrun them, I let them.

"Four," Uriah says, placing himself to my left and Zeke on the right. "What's going on, man?"

"It's nothing. I'm fine. Just a little sick," I lie quickly.

"Don't lie, Four. If you were sick, you wouldn't be able to run so fast. So tell us, what happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, picking up my pace.

"That's bull, Four, and you know it," he replies. "Even Tris hasn't been her normal self lately,"

I halt. "What?"

"Tris. She's been avoiding everyone and seems lost in thought all of the time. And for some reason she keeps touching this necklace that she has," Uriah supplies.

I rub my face with my hands. Why is this so complicated?

"Look, dude," Zeke begins. "I don't know what's going on right now, and if you don't want to share it, that's fine. But I want you to know, man, that if you ever need it, I'll be there for you. I know you're a good person, Four, despite what you've done." he says solemnly. I think that's the first time I've ever heard Zeke speak in a serious tone. Nevertheless, I'm extremely grateful. Maybe I've found some true friends after all.

"Thank you," I say. He claps me on the shoulder and we continue walking in peace.

* * *

 **A/N: I added Tris's dream because it was kinda fluffy and I wanted to show how close she and Tobias were. Good idea? Bad idea? Review and let me know!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to Frostybailey, DivergentUnicorn46, Wrenlovesreading, and several other guests who have reviewed this story! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 6

 **FOUR**

The next day, I know that I have to return to school, so I slowly crawl out of bed and get dressed. I know that Tris will be at school today, and I honestly don't know what to do.

When I arrive, I am met with stares and whispers from practically the entire school. I put on my "Four" face, as I like to call it, and ignore them. On the inside I feel like crying. Tris has made me really vulnerable, even more than I thought possible. I guess Bea did that to me too.

How could I have been so stupid? Tris was obviously Bea. I even suspected it on the first day, but my stupid ego got in the way of my thinking. And the night that I went to Andrew's was also the same day when Tris came to school. I guess it's true that Bea was always the smarter one of the two of us.

I take off my bracelet and clutch it in my hand. I will find my way back to Bea, because I know that she's always there for me.

''Four!" I hear, and whip my head around. Peter and Eric. _Now_ they decide to talk to me? I really want to ditch them for Zeke and Uriah. They have showed me who true friends are, and I know that I can trust them, even if they are complete goofballs. But another part of me knows that Tris is friends with them, and I don't want to make things harder than they already are.

"Hey, guys," I say with a fake enthusiasm.

"So, Four," Eric starts. "We noticed your breakdown a few days ago, and we realized that we can't have weak people like you on our side," he says, Peter nodding along with him. "Besides, we've found another person to replace you: Meet Al," A young boy comes into view. I'm grateful for this letdown; I don't know how I would be able to let go of these wrongdoers for good without it. And it seems like they won't be so successful with Al; he seems slow to catch on.

"That's alright. I understand," is all I say before turning my back towards them. Now, what am I going to do about Zeke and Uriah?

"Hey, Four," I hear again, this time from a more outspoken voice.

"Hi" I respond, smiling as Uriah nearly chokes Zeke using his shoulder.

"Glad to see you finally ditching those douches," Zeke says once he's free from Uriah's hold.

"Yeah. I am too,"

"So, since you're going to be sitting with your lonesome self, I, the awesome Zeke, have taken it upon myself to invite you to our lunch table," Zeke says in a mock British accent. I roll my eyes at his antics.

"Thanks. I'll be there," I say as the bell rings.

" _What will I do about Tris?"_ my mind screams.

 _"I have no idea"_ Is the only answer.

* * *

 **TRIS**

When I get to school, I notice that the whispers are back, which means that Tobias must be back. How am I supposed to act around him? Thankfully I have no classes with him today, so I can get some space to myself.

I am proven wrong, however, when I see Tobias walking with Zeke towards our table during lunch. I mentally groan and keep my head down as they sit across from me. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Tobias doing the same.

Then Christina sits next to me, and now I know that the true interrogation will begin. Thankfully I had avoided this conversation for two days, but all good things come to an end, I guess.

"So, I have been dying to ask you two," Christina begins. "What exactly happened on Wednesday?"

I glance at my lap, ignoring her. Tobias doesn't answer either.

"Oh come on," she coaxes. "It can't be _that_ bad,"

At this, I snort and chuckle sarcastically. Tobias' head shoots up at the noise and he meets my eyes. They're the same blue eyes that I was met with when I first bumped into him that first day, and the same eyes that carried tears a few days ago. The tears that _I_ created.

When I realized that Tobias and I had a really good friendship, I promised myself that no matter what happens, I would never be the one who would cause Tobias to cry. And I just broke that promise.

I feel something wet on my cheek. A tear. I didn't even know that I had started crying. I had also promised myself two days ago that I wouldn't cry over Tobias. And I broke that promise, too.

No one can trust me. No one deserves me.

Just then I realize that everyone at our table is staring at me. I stand quickly and exit the cafeteria, feeling their stares at the back of my head.

I have free period again, so I head to the library and continue crying silently, despite my efforts to stop. Ten minutes later, I've had enough.

"Goddammit," I say, mainly to myself, and wipe my eyes with the palms of my hands for probably the tenth time. Suddenly I feel a pair of hands helping me up, and I immediately know who it is.

Tobias.

I struggle against his grip, trying to prove to him and myself that I don't need him. But in my heart I know that that is not true.

"Please, Bea," he says. Then he closes his eyes and sighs. "Can we just be Bea and Toby, for just one second, and forget everything else?"

I comply and stop struggling, because in all honesty, I've missed him, more than I would like to accept. He wraps his arms around me, holding me in a tight embrace, and rests his head on my shoulder. I wrap my arms around him and lean into him. I can feel his tears on my bare neck, and I am probably soaking his shirt. But it doesn't matter. Because we've finally found each other.

"Bea," he says, choking on his tears. "I've missed you so much,"

"I missed you too, Toby," I whisper, not trusting my voice.

When we finally pull away, I really wish that we could just forget about everything and start over. But we can't. Too much has happened to be forgotten about, and I'm sure Tobias knows that too. Sadly, I face my back towards him again and begin walking away.

"Tris!"

* * *

 **This was a pretty meh chapter, in my opinion. Anyways, updates will begin start getting a lot slower because I have summer school :( but hopefully I will be able to update soon**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you guys for your patience. I've wrapped my head around this and here's what I got from it (with the help of DivergentUnicorn46, of course! Be sure to check out their story). Hope this doesn't disappoint, and** **don't forget to review!**

* * *

Chapter 7

 **TRIS**

 _"Tris!"_ I hear from two distinct voices, and I whip my head around. Christina and Tobias. Christina glares at Tobias, as if demanding that he let her speak first, and I watch as Tobias loses the unspoken argument by raising his arms in surrender. Christina steps forward.

"Tris, I'm so sorry. I guess you can take the girl out of Candor, but not the Candor out of the girl, right?" She chuckles nervously. I give her a small smile.

"It's okay, Christina, it's not your fault," she sighs in obvious relief and then I see her natural curiosity get the better of her again.

"So, do you mind explaining to me what just happened?" she asks. Her face then drops once she realizes what she said. "I mean, unless you don't want to, then-"

"Christina. Calm down," she nods and takes a deep breath, and I continue. "It's just really complicated now, and I want to tell someone else after I've figured it out for myself, you know?" I plea, trying to get her to understand.

"Yeah, it's okay. Just promise me you'll tell me soon," I nod, and she turns around again, looking at Tobias, who is patiently rocking on the balls of his feet, looking at the ground. She winks, as if to say, _Good Luck,_ then continues down the hallway. Noting Christina's absence, Tobias's head shoots up and he glances at me, then takes his time to walk up towards me.

"Tris," he begins, taking a deep breath. "I..I'm sorry. For everything. For leaving you behind...for the past month..." he sighs and rubs his face with his hand before continuing. "You know, the only reason that I do this is because...well...I didn't want to be reminded of you," he confesses. At this, I can't help but feel hurt.

"You didn't want to remember me?" I repeat.

"No, that's not what I meant." he sighs. "B-Tris, you were my only weakness. You _are_ my only weakness. I didn't want to feel weak coming to a new school because I already felt weak with...you know..." Of course. Marcus.

"To-Four, I understand that. You are my weakness, too. But that isn't a valid excuse. And it most certainly doesn't mean that we can just pick up from where we left off. Things have changed now."

"I know, and I'm truly sorry. And like you said, things are different. So I want to get to know you better. Please. Just give me one more chance." His words beg and his eyes plead.

"Tobias..."

"Please, Bea. You were my best friend and I just want you back."

I think back to the days where Tobias and I were best friends. Thinking about those moments always brings a smile to my face. I clearly remember that those times were the times when I enjoyed myself the most. Maybe if I get Tobias back, I can still enjoy by focusing on the good things, like how he was to me, rather than the bad things, like my life at home.

"Fine." I comply, and his eyes light up. He grabs my hands and kisses them, causing me to blush. Either he doesn't seem to notice or he doesn't care, because he seems to be in another world.

"Great. Let's go somewhere," he suggests.

"What? Now?" I ask.

"No, silly goose," he says, using the name from a kids commercial that we saw years ago. It's surprising that I even remember that, or that he does, for that matter. "Today is Friday, which means that we get the weekend and Monday off. So we can go tomorrow." He's right. Labor's day is coming up, and the school is giving us a three day break.

"I think that could work," Andrew usually spends Friday nights passed out, and on Saturday and Sunday he repeats the cycle, while going to bars for most of the day. During this time I can usually I can do whatever I want unnoticed, unless I'm unlucky or he doesn't drink a certain day.

"Yay!" he says, with more enthusiasm that I think he would have wanted to let on. Realizing this he blushes a deep red while I burst into laughter. He coughs as a cover while I clutch my stomach.

"Aww, is big, tough Four embarrassed?" I ask, still laughing.

"Shut up," he retorts, then scratches the back of his head as I smile at his weakness.

"Um, so yeah. Give me your number and text me your address, I'll pick you up from your house," he says once we've both gained our composure. We exchange phones and enter our numbers, then swap again.

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow, I guess," I say.

"Really? You're not going to ask me where we're going? Or did you just assume that I wasn't going to kidnap you?"

Kidnap? Of course. This is all just a joke. How could I ever think that Four would change? He must notice the change of expression on my face, because his face drops, too.

"You really thought that I would do that, didn't you?" The silence that I provide is enough to answer the question. He runs his hand through his hair. "God, see, this is why we need this. I was just joking," I visibly relax. Damn, what is with my emotions today?

"I'm so sorry, Tris. Thanks for giving me another chance," he says softly, then gives me a shy smile and says, "See ya,"

Even though I have no idea what Tobias has in store for me, there is a renewed sense of hope for me. A hope for our future. For _my_ future. It's something that I've lost ever since mom died.

I just hope I won't be let down this time.

* * *

The next day, I can't help but say that I'm excited. I head downstairs and just as I suspected, Andrew is passed out with a bottle of beer in his hand. I am whipping up a quick breakfast when I get a text.

 _Four - Good_ _morning, busy bee._ How does he remember all of these nicknames? This one comes from when we were nearing our tween years. My mom wanted me to volunteer with her, so I always rejected Tobias's requests to hang out. Hence, he called me busy bee.

 _Tris - Hi._

 _Four - Are you excited? :)_

 _Tris - I guess you could say that._

 _Four - Great. Text me your address and I'll be at your house in 15 minutes._

 _Tris - It's 4664 Abnegation Blvd. See you soon._

I sigh and pocket my phone, then quickly head upstairs to get ready for our outing. As I'm finding an outfit, I remember Christina, who would have totally been able to help me with this situation had she known about it. I decide to text her.

 _Tris - Hi Christina. So Four and I are going somewhere and I need help with finding an outfit._

Her response is almost immediate.

 _Christina - OMG TRISSS! Why didn't you tell me sooner? And Four?! REALLY?  
_

 _Tris - Sorry :( This happened as soon as you left yesterday. And yes, Four._

 _Christina - It's okay. Do you know where you're going?  
_

 _Tris - Not a clue._

 _Christina - My suggestion would be to go with something casual._

I follow her advice and soon find a dark green, almost military color short-sleeved shirt, which is surprising considering that my wardrobe consists of mainly black. I decided to pair it up with my dark blue jeans and slip on my Vans. I send a picture to Christina.

 _Christina - Looks good. Just put on some light makeup and you'll be all set._

 _Tris - I don't own any makeup, just some concealer._ I use the concealer to hide any bruises on my face, and that's it.

 _Christina - I guess this'll have to do then. I am taking you shopping for makeup soon. And next time someone asks you out, tell me!  
_

 _Tris - It's not a date, Chris. It's an...outing._

 _Christina - Yeah whatever you want to call it. Have fun ;)_

 _Tris - Thanks. Will do._

As soon as I pocket my phone away, the doorbell rings. I mentally slap myself. What if Andrew wakes up? I speed down the stairs to find that he's simply shifted his position. I sigh in relief and answer the door. On the flip side of the door I see Four. He's wearing a dark blue shirt, Adidas pants, and Nike shoes. He looks nice.

 _Really_ nice.

I must have been staring for too long, because I hear him chuckle. I blush and he extends his arm out towards me. I take it.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

"Ready as I'll ever be," I reply, and we walk towards his car to start an adventure.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I just realized that I haven't been putting up disclaimers in the past chapters, so I'll be starting that now. Also, thank you for all of the views and reviews on this story. They mean a lot and make writing much more enjoyable. Enjoy this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

* * *

Chapter 8

 **TRIS**

 _"Ready to go?" he asks._

 _"Ready as I'll ever be," I reply, and we walk towards his car to start an adventure._

The car ride to our unknown destination is quiet, but surprisingly comfortable. It's almost as if we were always connected in this way.

"So," I say, breaking the silence. "Can you please tell me where we're going?"

He scoffs. "Not a chance, Prior,"

"Please?" I say, using that baby voice that I used years ago that I know he hates. It's so weird how whenever I'm with Tobias I do things that I normally don't do with other people.

"Too late for that. We're already here," he says, and I look up. It looks like a carnival.

"Where are we?" I ask as I get out of the car.

"It's the Navy Pier. But we can go somewhere else, if you want,"

"No, no, this is good." I say, and we begin our journey.

* * *

We started in the morning, and by four in the afternoon, I have tried a hamburger for the first time and have a stuffed bear that Tobias won for me. I had the most fun that I've had in a long time, and it seems like I can only have that with Tobias. I can be myself around him. I'm starting to think that I made the right decision by trusting him again.

"Let's go on the Ferris Wheel," he says, pointing up towards it.

The Ferris Wheel. I used to love riding on it. Even though I knew that Tobias was claustrophobic and afraid of heights, we still went on it because he claimed that when he was with me he could forget his fear. Now that Andrew has been using similar tactics as Marcus, I too, have grown a fear of these things. But I don't think that I can forget my fear that easily.

"Why would we go on that? Aren't you afraid?" I say, trying to coax him out of this.

"I already told you, if you're there, I'll be fine," he says, already walking towards it.

"Tobias, I wouldn't want to impose anything on you,"

"You wouldn't be imposing. Come on." By now, we've reached the line, and it is almost our turn. I take deep breaths, trying to calm myself. It doesn't help much.

When it's our turn, we enter the cabin, and Tobias sits across from me. Once we start moving I grip the seat, concentrating on my shoes. My breathing becomes more and more ragged the higher we ascend, and my hands grip the seat so hard that I'm sure to have made a mark on them.

"Tris?" Tobias asks. I've forgotten that he was even there. I look up, instantly regretting it.

"Yes?" My voice is chocked and forced. He leans across the cabin and tries removes my hands from their grip, but they stay planted.

"Tris? What's going on?"

I don't respond. Instead, I try to concentrate on my breathing. Tobias swiftly moves so that he's sitting next to me.

"Tris," he says, touching my back, causing me to wince. I'm pretty sure that he meant to calm me down, but he touched one of my new wounds. His eyebrows furrow in confusion, and I think that in time, he'll connect the dots.

I'm going to have to tell him about Andrew now. But can I really do that? I haven't told anyone about the abuse so far. But today has been extraordinary. Never before had I had as much fun as I have today, and it's only ever happened with Tobias.

I think I can trust him.

Even though things aren't the same as they were before, I hope he'll care for me the way I did to him.

* * *

After we get off, Tobias says, "Come on. I want to take you somewhere else." I follow him, trying to decide how to tell him about the abuse. The drive there is long, and the silence is awkward. But once we finally reach our destination, I know that this is the perfect place for me to tell him. It seems to be in the middle of the woods, and is absolutely breathtaking.

"What is this place?" I find myself asking.

"I call it the Chasm. I found it a few years ago," he supplies, and leads me towards some rocks near a pond.

Silence. Silence that I know he wants me to break. "I guess you're expecting an explanation," I start.

This is it. No turning back now.

"It all started after you left." I begin. "Things were terrible after you left. I missed you so much, but you already know that. I don't think our friends felt the same way as I did though," I say, swinging my legs back and forth to give myself something else to do.

"Remember what happened the day after we met? At school?" I let out a small chuckle. How perfect things were us for then. Who would have thought that things would become the way they are now?

"Of course I remember what happened. I offered you my lunch after those bullies took it away." He says. At least he remembers.

"Yeah. Well that started again. They used to steal my lunch, push me against lockers, call me names..." I take a shallow breath as I remember what used to happen. I was all alone, facing a world full of hate.

"It went on for a really long time. And then, two years later..." I swallow. "My mom died," I say. I can feel my eyes filling with tears, and I brush them with my hand to prevent them from falling. I _will_ be strong.

Then I see Tobias stretch his arm out towards me, and I clasp our hands together. Our fingers soon intertwine, and I know what he means. He's there for me. He knows how important mom was to me, because she was important to him, too.

"She helped me so much, Tobias," I supply, hopefully fulfilling his curiosity. "She knew about the bullying, she told me to be strong." I squeeze his hand as an image of my mother flashes in my mind. So beautiful, so selfless. It hurts too much.

"A few months later and we were all still trying to cope with the death. It was late in the night, and...and..." I can't finish the sentence as the flashback plays across my mind, so vivid and surreal.

 _"Beatrice!" he yelled. I ran down the stairs, scared. I had never seen my dad in this state before._

 _"Yes, dad?" I asked._

 _"Turn around!" he said, and began taking off his belt. I knew what he was going to do; Tobias said that Marcus did this to him too._

 _And then the first lash came down. I lost count after fifty. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, he said, "Not a word about this to your brother. Now GO!" he yelled and passed out._

I feel a tear leak out of my eye and I squeeze my eyes shut. "And Andrew was there," I continue, imagining his drunken state. "He was drunk," I swallow the lump in my throat and continue.

"He called me downstairs. I had never seen him like that before, and I was so worried," I chuckle, thinking what an idiot I was back then. "I was so stupid, thinking that he actually needed something. Instead, he..." I open my eyes and gaze upon him, sucking in a breath. "He unbuckled his belt, Tobias."

It all happens so fast, but the next thing I know his arms are wrapped around my waist as are mine around his. And I finally let it all go. The pain, the worry, the sorrow. But I have Tobias now. I know that for sure. He rocks me back and forth, and I can't help but think how things would have been if I had told him about this before. At least I know he trusts me, as he proved when he showed his vulnerable side a few days ago. I guess I wouldn't be here right now if things wouldn't have played out the way they did.

"Shhh, Bea, it's okay, I'm here," his words soothe me over and over again, like a mantra. When I finally can control my breathing, he rests his chin on top of my head as I bury my face into his chest. I take in his scent, something that I once associated with safety, and find it still there. Now that I've found him and that he trusts me and I trust him, I never, _ever_ , want to let go.

"I'm so sorry," he starts, his voice raw. I can tell he thinks that this is all his fault which it isn't. I pull back so that I can look him in the eye.

"Tobias, before you even start, _it's not your fault,_ okay? There's nothing you could have done,"

He chuckles. "How is it that you know what I'm going to say without me even saying it?"

"I guess... we're back," I say, realizing that it's true. I've poured my heart out to him, and we've finally found our mutual trust.

He pulls me back to his chest and says, "And I'm so glad that's true,"

And we sit there, enjoying each other's company and embrace while watching the nature around us.

* * *

 **TOBIAS**

When we get on the Ferris Wheel, I know that something's not right. She used to love going on the Ferris Wheel. She would show me all of the things that we could see from our vantage point, and that would help distract me. This time, though, her eyes were planted on the ground, and when I tried to comfort her, she hissed as if she was in pain. Her actions remind me of the way I acted the first time I went on. And I acted like that because of Marcus.

So could it be that she's acting that way because of... Andrew?

Of course not. He was so nice to our family. I used to look up to him for raising such a beautiful and kind daughter, unlike anything my father was.

Then what was that about?

For the first time since we've been here, the silence between us once off the ride is uncomfortable. Another sign that something's not right. I decide to take her somewhere in an attempt to get her to talk to me. I know that it won't be easy, given that we've recently gotten back to talking terms, but I hope that today's events can help prove otherwise.

"Come on," I say, grabbing her arm. "I want to take you somewhere else." She follows me wordlessly and we climb into the car.

* * *

The drive was quite long, so by the time we get there, the sun is a bit lower in the sky. I hop out of the car and Tris follows. She looks around curiously at the greenery around her. I took her to a clearing in the forest that I found after a particularly harsh beating, when I just needed an escape.

I silently grab her hand and lead her towards the pond that contains some rocks around.

"What is this place?" she asks. It's the first few words she's said since we left Navy Pier.

"I call it the Chasm. I found it a few years ago." I say while leading her towards the rocks. We sit on one and our legs dangle from the edge.

No words come after that. I want to know what happened on the Ferris Wheel, but I want her to be comfortable if and when she wants to tell me.

I hear her softly exhale. "I guess you're expecting an explanation," she says. I find something interesting with the rocks ahead of me and don't glance at her, not wanting her to be pressured into saying something because of me. I want her to trust me again.

More silence. Then: "It all started after you left." she begins, glancing at the water in front of us. ''Things were terrible after you left. I missed you so much, but you already know that. I don't think that our friends felt the same as I did, though." She swings her feet back and forth in anxiety. I furrow my brow in confusion. What does she mean?

She takes another deep breath before continuing. "Remember what happened the day after we met? At school?" She lets out an airy chuckle.

 _One of the older kids at school stole her lunch. Again. I don't understand why they do it._

 _She's sitting at a lonely table. I can't take it anymore. "Hey, Bea! Where's your lunch?" I ask._

 _"Hi Toby. Someone stole my lunch," she says, hanging my head low as if in shame._

 _"It's okay," I say. "You can have some of mine," I offer._

 _"Well, I wouldn't want to be of inconvenience..." she starts. Damn, she's so selfless._

 _"Just eat it," I say, in a commanding but friendly way, knowing she won't listen to me otherwise._

"Of course I remember what happened," I say. "I offered you my lunch after those bullies took it away," I say, as if clarifying it for myself.

"Yeah. Well, that started again. They used to steal my lunch, push me against lockers, call me names..." She takes a shallow breath. She's strong, I know she is, but I can't help but think: _Why? Why her?_

"It went on for a really long time. And then, two years later..." she swallows. "My mom died," she says, wiping her eyes to prevent any tears from leaking out. I can't believe that Natalie died, though. She was so brave, kind, and selfless, just like Tris. She was the closest thing I had to a mother after Evelyn died.

I reach across the rock and grab her hand in mine. She takes it, and our fingers thread together so that they are intertwined. A motion to show her how I feel. A motion to urge her on. A motion to show her that I'm still there for her.

"She helped me so much, Tobias. She knew about the bullying, she told me to be strong." she squeezes my hand. "A few months later we were all still trying to cope with the death. It was late in the night, and...and..." she can't seem to finish her sentence. A tear leaks out of her eye and she squeezes them shut. "And Andrew was there. He was drunk," she whispers. Drunk? And since when did she call her dad Andrew? That can't mean...

"He called me downstairs. I had never seen him like that before, and I was so worried." Her eyes are still closed and she chuckles softly. "I was so stupid, thinking that he actually needed something. Instead, he..." she opens her eyes and gazes upon me, sucking in a breath. "He unbuckled his belt, Tobias."

That's it. I can't listen to this anymore. I wrap my arms around her gently as she returns the gesture, and she finally lets herself cry, emotions released. I rock her back and forth in an attempt to soothe her.

"Shhh, Bea, it's okay, I'm here," I whisper over and over again, trying to calm her down. When I can tell that she's got her breathing under control, I rest my chin on top of my head as she buries her face into my chest. I think she's thinking the same thing that I am. Now that we've finally found each other and that she can trust me, I never want to let go of her ever again.

I replay the past few minutes in my mind. First, she lost her best friend. Then, she started getting bullied. And then her mom died. Now her father beats her. God, how could I have been so stupid as to bully her?

"I'm so sorry," I start. I could have helped her so much. She immediately pulls back a bit from the embrace.

"Tobias, before you even start, _it's not your fault,_ okay? There's nothing you could have done,"

I chuckle. "How is it that you know what I'm going to say without me even saying it?"

"I guess... we're back," she says, realization playing on her face. I think so, too.

I pull her back to my chest and say, "And I'm so glad that's true." And I mean it.

And we sit there, enjoying each other's company and embrace while watching the nature around us.

* * *

 **Whoo! Nearly 3k words in this chapter. How was it? I know that some of you guys didn't like Tobias being so weak, so I worked hard on Tris' emotions. I was a bit iffy on whether or not I should have done both POV's in the same chapter, but I ended up just rolling with it.**

 **Review and let me know your thoughts, they will help me make better chapters for you guys in the future. ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: Don't own Divergent. Never have, never will.**

* * *

Chapter 9

 **TRIS**

After a while, the sun started setting, and Tobias and I got to see sundown. It was really beautiful and breathtaking. Even as more and more darkness overcame us, we didn't move from our positions.

"Let's play twenty questions." Tobias proposes randomly. It has been really quiet so far, with none of us exchanging words, so this is new.

"Okay. You can ask first."

"What is... your favorite color?"

"Black. You?"

"Black also." he says, smirking.

"Favorite song?"

"Demons by Imagine Dragons. You?"

"Same." Jeez, we still have a lot in common, despite the years. "Your turn,"

We continue playing, asking silly and random questions. In the end, I find out the Tobias has a tattoo, he's never dated anyone, he started playing football in middle school, and he has a B- in Biology, that's almost going to be a C.

"You have to let me help you in Biology." I say. "Wait a minute, how come you're in my class?"

"Not all of us are smart enough to take all AP classes during junior year, Bea," he says. I smile. I was always more academically oriented than him.

A few more moments pass. Then: "We have a test coming up in that class, don't we?" he says, confusion evident in his voice.

"Yeah, we do." I say, chuckling.

He curses under his breath. "What are we even learning?"

"Jeez, Tobias, what do you _do_ during that class?" I shake my head, smiling. "I could help you, if you want,"

"Yeah, that would be a good idea." he says, grabbing my hands and kissing them again. He seems to do that a lot.

"Text me and we could arrange a time to work on it."

"Sounds like a plan." Then, quietly, he adds, "At least that gives me an excuse to see you again." I blush, though I doubt he can see it.

When the darkness becomes more prominent, Tobias finally says, "Come on. It's time to get you home." He grabs my hand and we walk to his car.

* * *

When I get home, I notice that Andrew's car isn't in the driveway. Relived, I enter the house and crash on the couch, smiling into the pillow. Today was _perfect._ Then, I see a note on the kitchen counter. I get up to read it. It says:

 _I'm out for a business trip. Don't know when I'll be back. You know the expectations._

 _\- Andrew_

I sigh in relief. Thank god. Just as I'm about to head upstairs for the night, I get a text from Tobias.

 _Four - Marcus isn't at home, he says he doesn't know when he'll be back._

 _Tris - Really? Andrew said the same thing._

 _Four - They're probably working at the same company again._

 _Tris - Yeah. You're probably right._ My gut is telling me that there're more to this, but I may be wrong. I probably _am_ wrong.

 _Four - So, can I come over tomorrow? For the Bio tutoring?  
_

 _Tris - Sure._

 _Four - Great, thanks. See you soon._

 _Tris - See ya._

That night, I have a peaceful and dreamless sleep, my soul finally at ease now that I have my best friend by my side once again.

* * *

The next day, I wake up with a bounce in my step. Andrew isn't home, and I found Tobias. What more could I want?

I'm eating some oatmeal, humming to myself, when the doorbell rings. I open it and find Tobias, all dressed up and ready for the day. He's also carrying the Biology textbook that the school provided.

Then I remember my own presence. I'm wearing a black v-neck and black jeggings, which is not a fashionable choice on my part. But since when did I care about how I look in front of Tobias?

Since now, I guess.

Blushing, I open the door wider, and he steps inside. He takes a whiff of the house and sighs. "Oh, the smell of alcohol," he says with fake enjoyment. I snort and laugh at his comment.

"I was actually going to clean the house today, after you left."

"I can help you, if you want. As a repayment for the tutoring,"

"That would be great. Thanks." I say, smiling. The house is a mess, and there are broken shards from beer bottles scattered around from the past few days. It would take forever for me to do it myself.

Suddenly, I remember that I have a guest in the house. "Would you like anything to eat or drink? I have some leftover oatmeal, if you want it,"

"No thanks, I'm fine. I just ate."

"Really? It's like" I check the time. "Six thirty in the morning, and you've already eaten breakfast? What time did you wake up?"

He sighs. "I couldn't get any sleep. I feel like Marcus is going to do a surprise attack on me. He's done it before."

I ponder this for a moment. "I don't think that would happen this time. If Andrew is out too, it must be for business purposes."

He gives me a weak smile. "I hope you're right."

After I've eaten, we head upstairs to my room to start our tutoring lesson.

"So, do you have _any_ idea about what we are learning?"

He shakes his head. "Not a clue"

I sigh. "We have a test on the different types of cells. I think it would help if I quiz you on a topic, and if you don't know the answer, we could review the topic. Is that okay with you?"

He nods. I can already tell he's not looking forward to this. "Name at least two differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes." I ask, and we begin.

* * *

By noon, we have covered all of the content, and Tobias is more confident in the subject. I'm proud of him. He pushed through it and took the questions head on, despite not knowing some of the content.

"Good job. You've gotten a whole lot better." I say as we head downstairs to grab something for lunch.

"Thanks. But I couldn't have done it without you," he says, and ruffles my hair as if I was a little child.

"Hey! I'm not four, Tobias," I say, swatting his hand away.

"I know you're not four. 'Cause _I'm_ Four," he says. I laugh. He's back to his old self again.

"Are you always like this with other people?" I ask.

"Like what?" he says, taking out the leftovers from the fridge.

"You know, laughing, making jokes... stuff like that,"

"Well, do _you_ act like the way you do now with other people?" I shake my head. "I'm not either, and for the same reasons,"

Ah, Marcus and Andrew. They completely changed their lives, and we are forced to deal with the aftermath of their bad choices. Hiding from other people so that they don't discover our scars. Blending in among the crowd so that we don't stand out. Dealing with the beatings so that we don't further disappoint our parents.

We eat in silence after that, thinking about our lives. After I while, I decide to break the silence.

"Let's crash this self-pity party," I say, standing and putting my dishes in the sink. "Are you still helping me clean up?"

He nods his head. "Yup" he says, popping the 'p'.

"I call not doing the bathroom," I say quickly. The bathrooms are the worst. It reeks of alcohol and barf, probably from bad hangovers.

"Ugh, ew" Tobias says, grossed out and whining like a baby. He eventually complies and picks up some cleaning supplies before heading towards the bathroom while I clean up the kitchen and living room.

Two hours later, the house is spotless. There is no evidence of Andrew ever drinking in here, and the smell of alcohol is replaced with disinfectant. I sigh in contentment.

"Thanks, Tobias. I couldn't have done it without you,"

"No problem." he says, then yawns. "Ugh, I'm tired."

"Yeah, so am I," I say after yawning myself. "You can crash with me on the bed, if you want,"

"Really?" he asks, already heading upstairs. "Thanks."

Once in my room, he flops on my bed and groans into the pillow. "I'm so tired. Why did I agree to clean the bathroom?"

I roll my eyes at his exaggeration and lay my head on the pillow, sleep overtaking me.

* * *

When I wake up, I hear a phrase that will haunt me for the rest of my life:

"What the _hell_ is going on here?"

* * *

 **A/N: Uh oh. Who can guess what's going on here? *smiles** **evilly***

 **Anyways, I realized that in high school they don't have just one class for Science (or at least in my high school they don't) so I changed it to Biology. I fixed it in other chapters as well to avoid confusion.**

 **And as always, don't forget to review on this chapter!**

 **See ya soon!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: Guess what I don't own?**

 **WARNING: This chapter contains some graphic content (not really though) and discusses some topics of abuse, which may be triggering for some people. If you think you are one of those people, then please stop now.**

 **You have been warned.**

* * *

Chapter 10

 **TRIS**

 _"What the_ hell _is going on here?"_ I hear. Instantly, I jump up from the bed, and I feel Tobias doing the same. In front of me stand our worst nightmares.

Andrew.

And.

Marcus.

Before I have enough time to process what is happening and how they got here, Andrew lunges towards me, grabbing me by the hair and pulling me up and out of the bed. I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from screaming, causing it to draw some blood.

He kicks me in the stomach, hard, catching me by surprise. I moan softly and fall to my knees. He stands behind me.

"TAKE OFF YOUR SHIRT!" I hear from both Marcus and Andrew. I glance at Tobias through my peripheral vision, sitting in the same position as I am. I slowly take off my shirt, conscious that Tobias can see me so exposed, and brace myself for the belt.

The slap of the belt is fresh and stings against my skin. I clamp my hands in a fist and stuff it into my mouth, teeth digging into my skin to refrain from screaming out. I have to be strong. If Tobias can, then so can I.

After what seems like an eternity, they leave slamming the door behind them. Slowly, I crawl to the door, hoping that they didn't lock it.

And since luck is never on my side, I find that the door is locked.

I groan, then look at Tobias, only to find him looking at me already. His back is completely red, and blood is seeping down is back. I'm sure that my bra is soaked as well.

"Do you have bandages?" he asks, his voice hoarse. I nod, and try to stand, wincing at the pressure that it puts on my back. I head to the bathroom and return with the first aid kit.

"I'll wrap you first, then you wrap me." I say, finding my voice is also scratchy. He nods, and I apply the gauze gently, trying to elude the pain as much as possible. Then he does the same thing to me in a similar fashion. It's so sad how good we are at this now.

"Thanks." I say, and he only nods. We change into fresh clothes, cautious about all of our moves because Andrew and Marcus can invade my room again at any time.

* * *

I don't know how much time has passed. There is a clock in my room, and all I know is that we went to bed at five in the evening. It is now seven, but it is sunny outside, so I suppose that today is Sunday and it is now morning time.

Since we weren't able to leave the room, we ate some of the food that I keep hidden under my bed. Then, with nothing better to do, we fell asleep. I don't think that either of us slept well, though, due to the constant fear.

Tobias and I haven't exchanged many words since the beating, just the simple, "Thanks" and the occasional question. But other than that, complete silence.

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear loud footsteps on the stairs. I brace myself for the inevitable and I notice that Tobias does too.

The door bursts open, revealing our worst fears, who are wearing sick smiles. We are sitting in the middle of the room, and they are circling us, like vultures about to feast on their prey.

"So, we had an amazing idea the other night," Marcus starts, eyeing Tobias. A simple action, yet so threatening. "You," he says, pointing to Tobias. "get up," he demands. I gulp at his behavior. I think that Marcus is even worse than Andrew in some ways.

Tobias stands, shaky on his knees. Marcus grabs him and pulls his hands behind his back, restraining him. Before I can even begin to wonder why, Andrew lifts me up with so much force that I think that he may have dislocated my shoulder.

Then his belt lashes against me.

Of course. Hurting Tobias by forcing him to watch a loved one get hurt.

I notice the tension in his eyes as another strike hits my back, and my heart flutters knowing that he still cares for me.

But I'm too weak to fight back now.

I'm giving up.

It doesn't matter anymore.

So here goes nothing.

* * *

 **TOBIAS**

When Andrew lashes against her, I notice something change in her eyes. She's gone under, and I don't blame her.

"I'm sorry," I whisper to her, but I doubt she can hear me.

After a few more, I can't watch. I can't just sit there and watch Tris get hurt.

I try strangling against the restraints that Marcus has put against me. But I can't. He's stronger than me.

When Andrew finally releases her, she is curled up in a ball, shivering. I silently clean up her wounds and then fix up my bruises that I got from trying to break free. Then I pull her into my chest and stroke her hair. She's still shivering.

"I'm so sorry," I start, and knowing that she'll interrupt me, I say quickly, "I shouldn't have just watched that. I should have stopped them when I had the chance. I'm so sorry,"

"It's okay, Tobias. There's nothing you could have done. It's not your fault." she says, and, sensing that I am on the verge of tears, as she is, she runs her fingers through my hair, and action that she knows I find soothing.

We sit there for the rest of the day, passing time until our next doom strikes.

* * *

It is now five o' clock in what looks like the evening, which means that it is Monday. Our friends are probably worried, especially since we haven't been on our phones the entire weekend, and we haven't shown up to school, too.

The door slams open. "Guess what we're going to do today?" Andrew asks us, smiling sickly at Tris. I notice her paling slightly.

Suddenly I'm being pulled to my feet by Marcus, and Tris is undergoing the same actions. Now _she_ is restrained by Andrew while I'm being beaten by Marcus.

I look into her eyes for a second, and the fire that I thought she lost yesterday is now back, fueled by anger. I feel warmth in my heart knowing that she still cares for me, and then I realize.

I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for Tris. She gave me physical help, but she also helped me emotionally. Whenever Marcus used to beat me, I would think about Tris, about how I had to get through this if I ever wanted to see her again.

And all those years ago, when I asked her what love meant, I thought about how I would do anything for her, because she was the reason that I'm still here. Still sane. Still alive. Still breathing.

And now, I realize, that that hasn't changed, even after all these years.

 _I love you, Tris._

* * *

Later that night, the door opens again. Without warning, Marcus pushes me up to my feet and drags me home. As we exit the Prior residence, I hear Tris groan, and I know that I am up for a similar treatment tonight.

They say that sometimes, love makes you stronger.

I hope that this would be the case for me, too.

* * *

 **A/N: Pretty depressing chapter, eh? At least there is some hope for our future couple!**

 **If you skipped this chapter because of the warning, here's a quick summary of what happened:  
Marcus and Andrew wake up Tris and Tobias. They start beating them. After the beating Tris notes how good they are at wrapping up the wounds. Tris uses math and finds out that it is now Sunday. Marcus restrains Tobias and forces him to watch Tris being beaten by Andrew. Tris is happy that Tobias cares for her, as seen by him fighting the restraints, but loses more hope. On Monday, Tobias notes how they are unable to attend school. Then Marcus beats Tobias while Tris is forced to watch by Andrew. Tobias notes how Tris's previous fire in her is now fueled by anger towards Marcus. Tobias realizes that he ****loves Tris because she is the reason he is still alive. Later, Marcus takes Tobias home to continue the beating, and Andrew does the same to Tris.**

 **Well... that wasn't that quick... but whatever :)**

 **Also, congrats to Wrenlovesreading for guessing what would happen! (Or at least half of it)**

 **Hope you guys liked it (2 consecutive updates, I know, but me stressed = more updates) Anyways, don't forget to review on your way out, and see you soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Divergent.**

(For the song, _It_ _alics is Tris,_ **Bold is Tobias,** Regular is both)

* * *

Chapter 11

 **TRIS**

 _I open my eyes. The room is dark, and a spotlight glows in the center. In the spotlight stands Tobias. He meets my eyes, and I see_ _hurt in them._

 _"Won't you help me, Tris? Don't you love me?" he asks._

 _"What?" I'm confused._

 _Suddenly I see Marcus and Andrew, circling him like they did in my room a few days ago. Simultaneously, they unbuckle their belts and lash out against him. He screams in pain, and I see terror in his eyes._

 _I can't watch him get beaten up while I just stand here. I run in their direction, trying to stop those monsters from hurting him, but I am stopped by something._

 _Something that I can't see._

 _An invisible barrier._

 _I pound against it as I watch Tobias fall to his knees in a pool of blood, crying and screaming for my name. And soon, I am crying and yelling, too. Because there's nothing I can do for him._

 _I can't do anything for the ones I love, even when they need me most._

I gasp and wake up with a start. My pajamas are sweaty and my breaths are ragged. There's no way I can go back to sleep now. But one thought is nagging in the back of my mind.

What was that last thought?

Sure, I had dreamt about that when my mom died, but I haven't had a dream like this one before about anyone else. And it seems like my subconscious has decided that I love Tobias.

And then I realize, that maybe I _do_ love him. He brought out the real me, he showed me how to have a good time, and he proved to me what a true friend is.

 _I love Tobias._

I smile at the realization and get out of bed, knowing that despite it being 5:00 in the morning that I won't get any sleep any time soon.

I take a shower, which consisted of me cleaning out my wounds, and then get dressed into my favorite jeans and Tobias' sweatshirt that he left here. It makes me feel safe, it covers my arms so that no one can see my wounds, and smells so distinctly like _him_. Then I apply some concealer to cover up any wounds on my face and place it in my backpack along with some medical supplies. You never know when you might need them.

Grabbing a banana, I exit the house and embrace the cold air that stings on my face. I start walking to school, keeping my hood up and my eyes on the ground.

* * *

When I arrive at school, it is 5:20, so I expect no one to be there. Surprisingly, the main doors are open. I push them open, relived that there is finally some warmth, and notice a figure sitting with his head against the lockers.

Tobias.

He's wearing another one of his sweatshirts, with the hood up like mine, and grey jeans. From what I can see, his eyes are closed and he's plugged in his headphones.

Quietly, I make my way over to him, sliding down the lockers until I am sitting to the left of him. He glances up at me, acknowledging my presence, then looks back down again. I take his hand in mine, then grab his left earbud and plug it into my left ear.

Sure enough, he's listening to Demons by Imagine Dragons.

We sit in silence for a few more minutes until I decide to break it. "When did you get here?"

"At five," he responds, playing with my hands, a calming action that I didn't know I missed until now.

I press my head against his shoulder softly as the memories of the past few nights pass through my mind. I squeeze his hand and he takes the hint, placing me on his lap so that my legs are perpendicular to his.

I take in a shaky breath. "I could have lost you, Tobias," I say, my voice cracking and my bottom lip quivering. I press my head further into him. "I could have lost you."

He wraps his arms around me. "I could have lost you, too."

And I finally break. It starts as a slow moan but turns into full on sobbing. And he holds me through it all, though I can tell he's trying to hold it together as his Adam's apple bobs up and down.

When I start to calm down, he simply says, "Sleep. I'll fight off the bad dreams if they get to you."

And I do just that.

* * *

"Four? Tris?" I hear, and I wake up in an instant, thinking that this was all just a dream, that I'm still trapped in the house. Instead, I find Amar and Tori, the gym and music teacher, standing in front of us. I look at Tobias, and he's rubbing his eyes, meaning that he must have dozed off too. I'm glad that he could sleep. It looked like he needed it.

"Yes?" I respond, my voice drowsy.

"What are you two doing here? Are you okay? Seriously, Four, is that a bruise on your face?" Tori asks, questions flying everywhere.

"We... got here early because we missed school yesterday. And I'm fine, I just tripped and landed on my face," Tobias says, answering her questions.

"But it's-" she checks her watch. "Seven thirty in the morning. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Thanks for asking." I say, trying to be polite while silently begging her to leave.

She nods slowly, as if not believing us, and walks away as Amar says, "Four. You haven't been coming to practice lately. I need my star player for our first game of the season, which is coming up soon! So, are you coming to practice today?"

Of course he's not going to practice! What if his wounds re-open?

Before he can respond, I place a hand on his chest, stopping him, and say, "No, he's not going to practice today."

Tobias sighs. "Tris-" he starts.

"Nope. Sorry Amar, but he's not."

Amar sighs. "Whatever. But I expect you to come to practice tomorrow then. And don't be surprised when you're running extra laps, then." he finishes, pointing an angry finger at him, and walks away.

"Tris," Tobias whines. "Now I have to run extra laps!"

I scoff. "Don't whine, I practically saved you just now, and you know it." Then, glancing at his face, I say, "You know what, I think the bruise on your face is pretty evident. Let me fix that," I say, while grabbing the concealer from my bag.

"Ugh! You're making me put _makeup_ on?"

"Look, Tobias, I've just been trying to help, and if you don't want that then I'm sorry I ever bothered." I say, annoyed how easily he whines over stupid reasons.

"Sorry, sorry." he surrenders quickly, and I apply the concealer on his face. Thankfully our skin tones match, or else that would have looked weird.

As I'm about to put the last bit of concealer on, he cups my cheek with his hand. His beautiful blue eyes search mine. He inhales deeply.

"Tris...I..." he begins, searching for the right words. "I... I think I love you." he says softly.

I lean into his touch slightly. He loves me. I can see it in his eyes by the way he's looking at me. And I see pure love and adoration.

"I love you too," I say with a genuine smile for the first time in days, and bury my face into his chest. Then I realize something.

Was he expecting me to kiss him? I mean, that's what normal people do, right?

I mentally scoff. Screw normal. In fact, I think our relationship is anything but.

* * *

Soon, there was a constant flow of students into the hallways, and Tobias and I were forced to stand. Then we see the gang entering the hall. Christina is the first person to meet my eye. She waves enthusiastically, and soon the entire gang is walking towards us.

Great. Let the interrogation begin.

"Woah, dude," Uriah began, pointing to Tobias. "You look like shit." Then he turned and glanced at me. "And so do you, Tris."

"Yeah," Shauna says, nodding along. "And what's with the sweatshirts? And Tris, why's your's so long?"

"She's right, Tris. We so have to take you shopping. Speaking of which, how did your _date_ go? Are you two dating yet?" Christina adds.

"Wait a minute. They went on a _date_?" Zeke asks, just getting into the conversation. I glance at Tobias and sigh.

"Uriah. I look like shit because I'm sick, and I think that I got him sick," I say, pointing to Tobias. "Shauna, I'm wearing a sweatshirt because I dress like the mood I'm in, which is like crap right now. Christina, I'm not going shopping any time soon, and Zeke, it was an _outing,_ not a _date,_ hence no _date-_ ing," I finish.

"Now if you'll excuse us," Tobias says, extending a hand out to me. "We have Bio to go to." I take his hand and wave to my friends who are wearing confused expressions. I would be confused if I were them, too.

Once we're out of earshot, I say, "We should probably lose the hoods, they make us stand out more." He nods and we take the hoods off.

"Wait a minute." he says, pointing an accusing finger at me. "Is that _my_ sweatshirt?" I nod and blush slightly. He chuckles and we continue towards class.

When we get there, we notice a change in the seating arrangement, so that now there are two desks combined together for two people to sit instead of one desk for one person. We glance at Ms. Mathews, our teacher, wondering if we have assigned seating. She looks up at us and sighs.

"Right. Um, just sit anywhere you'd like. I didn't have time to make a seating chart." she says, rubbing her temples. I glance at Tobias and I know what he's thinking. Immediately, we bolt for the seats in the middle of the classroom.

"You excited? You're sitting next to me, Prior." Tobias says once we're seated.

''Yeah, I'm starting to regret that." I say, realizing that Tobias rarely pays attention in class, meaning that I have to do all the work.

"Don't worry, I'll try harder this time."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Anything for you," he says, softly. I smile, and this time, deciding to be brave, I take _his_ hands and kiss them. I see a blush creeping on his neck.

By the start of class, everyone has taken a seat. Unfortunately for me, Peter and Eric are sitting behind me. Tobias notices my discomfort and squeezes my hand. I give him a small smile in return.

"Alright, class." Ms. Mathews starts. "We learned about different cells last week, and today you will be doing a lab that where you can see the difference between plant and animal cells."

Soon enough, Tobias and I are looking at a onion root cell under a microscope, taking notes on the differences that we see.

"Hey, look, Eric!" Peter says, a little too loudly. "The cell walls are so _stiff_!"

I pause in the middle of my writing. God, why are they so annoying? Tobias notices my change in movements and gives me another sympathetic look. It doesn't help much, though.

"Can you please stop? Some of us are trying to work." I say angrily. They simply laugh off my comment.

"Hey!" Tobias says to them using his intimidating voice, and they immediately pale. "She said stop." They look down and continue with their work.

"Thanks." I say, addressing Tobias. He smiles and nods and we continue the lab.

* * *

Two more classes into the day and I've already got _tons_ of homework, just because I missed one day. Maybe Tobias was right; I shouldn't have taken so many AP classes.

Thankfully though, now I have Music. So far the class has been pretty chill, and we rarely have any homework. Tori lets us finish our homework in class anyways. I use the class as downtime from the busy day, too, because she let's us listen to music. It is a music class, after all.

When I get there though, there are people hustling around the room, talking loudly in pairs. Confused, I take my seat. Tobias soon enters the class wearing a similar expression.

Tori finds us both and says, "Yesterday, we worked on duets, which we are presenting now. The main requirements are that it has to be original and at least twenty seconds long. Since you guys weren't here, I'll let you work in the back half of the classroom, and you can present at the end of the class. That way you'll get the same amount of time to work on it as everyone else, and I'll get my grades done sooner. Sound good?" We nod, and she leads us to the back of the class. There is a wall that is able to fold off, almost like a gymnastics mat except with wood. It acts as a divider that can section off some of the classroom.

"Great. So, there's a piano here and some papers if you need to jot down anything. I'll come get you at the end of class." Then she walks off, leaving us alone.

I immediately head over to the piano and run my fingers over it. I can feel Tobias staring at me.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asks as I play a quick scale. I nod. "Why didn't you sing on that first day?"

It seems like such a long time ago. "My mom." I respond. "She... she used to sing me songs, and I guess they remind me of her. I didn't want to cry in front of the whole class." I confess.

"Well, you'll sing in front of them now, won't you?"

"I guess. I don't have any other option."

He smiles as he takes a seat next to me on the piano stool. "I'm sure you sing beautifully." I blush but don't say anything, knowing that arguing won't get me anywhere.

I play a random series of notes on the piano, realizing that they make a great tune. Tobias must notice too, because he's nodding in approbation.

"Little do you know, how I'm breaking while you fall asleep." The words flow out of my mouth easily, and suddenly, I know what this song is about.

"Little do you know, I'm still haunted by the memory." He supplies, and lyrics seem to be flowing out of him as fast as they are me.

As time passes, we are slowly and surely forming a song. A song about us.

"Ready?" Tori pops her head into the room. I look at Tobias and he nods at Tori. We make our way to the stage. He sits next to me on the piano bench, just like he did last time, but now my hands are sweaty and there's a lump in my throat. I wipe them on my pants frantically while swallowing. Can I really do this?

"Hey. Look at me." Tobias says with such gentleness and seriousness wrapped into one that I have to look. "Imagine it's just you and me, okay? I'm here with you. No matter what, I'll still be with you. Just remember that." I nod and take a deep breath and begin.

 _Little do you know_

 _How I'm breaking when you fall asleep._

 **Little do you know**

 **I'm still haunted by the memories.**

Little do you know

I'm trying to pick myself up piece by piece.

Little do you know

I need a little more time.

 **I'll wait,** _I'll wait_

I love you like you've never felt the pain

 _I'll wait_

I promise you don't have to be afraid

 **I'll wait**

The love is here and here to stay

So lay your head on me

Lay your head on me

I gently remove my hands from the piano and smile at Tobias. I did it, thanks to him. I give him a hug, which he gladly returns. Then we hear applause, and we immediately pull back, forgetting that we had an audience. Blushing, I stand, and together we take a bow just as class ends.

"Thank you." I say as we are gathering our stuff.

"For what?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"For letting me lay my head on you."

He smiles warmly. "Of course. I should be thanking you too."

I smile a smile that I save only for him and take his hand.

"I love you." I comment.

"I love you too."

We walk out of the class together.

* * *

 **A/N: This story has over 3,000 views now! Thanks so much for the support!**

 **Yay, they confessed! Should I have let them kiss** **?**

 **I know you guys were really sad in the last chapter... hopefully some of these Fourtris moments made up for that!**

 **Song credits go to Alex & Sierra for 'Little do you know'. It's shorter because they didn't have time to make a full song, which is also the reason why I changed up who sings what. I know that in real life, this isn't how songs are made, but this is fanfiction, so...**

 **Don't forget to review and let me know how this chapter went!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I'm not Veronica Roth, therefore I don't own Divergent.**

 **Some quotes from the end of this chapter will be from the book, or slight variations. Again, I don't own them.**

* * *

Chapter 12

 **TRIS**

I'm walking towards the cafeteria after Gym, having excused myself earlier to use the restroom as I had to re-bandage a wound on my back. When I get there, I notice everyone's eyes on me. Confused, I sit down.

"Hey guys..." I start, not knowing what to do.

"So, Tris, is there anything you'll like to tell us?" Christina prods, seemingly forgetting the whole episode that happened just a few days ago.

Just then, Tobias comes with a tray in his hands, carrying _two_ burgers, and plops down next to me. Unaware of the palpable tension, he says, "Hey guys. What's up?" Then he looks at Christina's face and soon, he's bearing a similar expression as mine.

"Oh, nothing much. We were just asking Tris if there's anything she would like to tell us." Christina supplies.

He arches his eyebrow. "Well Tris? Is there something you have to say?"

I face palm. Does he not understand what they are doing?

"Remind me again why I agreed to sit next to you in Bio?"

"What are you saying? That I'm stupid? Because I have no idea where you got that impression from."

I roll my eyes as he wears a triumphant grin on his face. We hear a clearing of a throat. Christina again.

"Christina, there is nothing going on, okay?" I say, starting to get a little annoyed at her nosiness.

"Really? I would beg to differ. First, you make Four cry, then you cry, then you both are best friends and sing a song about love? What's up with that?"

"Let's just say," Tobias says, using his 'Four' voice again. "That we are on good terms now." That ended the conversation, as everyone launched into their stories of the day. I simply chew on my apple, tuning in and out of some of the conversations.

"Hey," I hear next to me. Tobias. "Aren't you going to eat anything else?"

"Nope. Why?"

"Tris, please eat. It's important, especially since you've lost so much energy over the past few days."

I scoff. "Four, I'm not hungry." I say, using his name because we are no longer in private.

He sighs. "Do you know how much I love you?" I shake my head. "Enough to fight this battle with you. Tris, let me help you. Please."

"What makes you think that I have an eating disorder? Just because I don't eat doesn't mean that I'm anorexic."

"Really now?" he asks, challenging me. "Then why don't you eat?"

"Because I'm used to not eating. Remember I told you that bullies stole my lunch? And Andrew would lock me in the closet for days without food. I can't eat as much as other people because that's just the way I am now."

"Okay. Then let me help you get back to normal. Here." he says, breaking one of his burgers into a fourth. "Just eat this much."

Sighing, I take it and eat it. When I'm halfway finished, I say, "God, how do you eat this much? I'm stuffed."

"That's okay. We can try again tomorrow." I must be wearing a shocked expression, because he says, "Yes, we are trying tomorrow. Don't worry Tris, things will get better soon."

And for once, I believe him.

* * *

Things have been going smoothly for the past few weeks. Tobias and I are back to our old selves, much to the surprise of our peers. He's even gotten me to start eating again, and now, in addition to my apple, I also eat four tater tots that the school gives in the lunches.

Tomorrow is the first football game of the season. Marlene and Shauna are going because of Zeke and Uriah, and they ended up dragging Lynn and I along, too. Will decided to join the team a few weeks after school started because he was urged on by the Pedrads, and he ended up getting in despite his late entry, so Christina is also going.

I enter the busy halls of the school, where I fight my way to get to my locker.

"Tris!" I hear a voice among the swarm of teenagers, and I instantly recognize it. Tobias.

"Hey." I say once he's in hearing range. He leans against the locker on my right, arms crossed and leaning his weight on his right leg.

"So, I was wondering," he starts, and I can see a curious glint in his eye, but I also see a trace of fear. What could he be afraid of?

"Yes..." I say, urging him to continue.

"So it's a tradition for players to give their girlfriends their varsity jackets for the first game of the season. So I was wondering if you would...want to wear mine? I know you're not my girlfriend or anything, and you don't have to-"

"Tobias, I would love to wear it."

"Great!" he says, then takes off his jacket, which I know realize was his varsity jacket. _Four_ it says on the back, and the number four underneath. He probably didn't want anyone to know that his last name is _Eaton._ "So just wear this tomorrow during school."

"Okay." I say, taking his jacket, which looks huge compared to me.

"Thanks. I'll see you later." he says, and disappears among the crowd.

And for some reason, I can't stop smiling all day.

* * *

The next day, I wake up excited. I get dressed in my normal attire and proudly wear Tobias's jacket. It feels like such a huge honor to be wearing it. I guess it's because all the girls at school would be dying to wear it. But Tobias and I aren't even dating.

I feel pounding in my chest thinking about Tobias. It's unlike anything I've ever felt before, and I don't know why it's happening all of a sudden. Maybe just nerves for the game.

When I get to school, I notice that all the girls give me disgusted glares. Rolling my eyes, I open my locker and continue with my routine, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Just then I hear the laugh of the person that I love... and two idiot brothers.

"Hey Tris!" Uriah says. We've all gotten closer as a group, and now I finally feel like I belong.

"Hey Uri." I say, opening my locker. "Are you guys excited?"

"Hell yeah!" Zeke says. Picking up on his excitement, the students whoop and clap. Our school has a lot of school spirit, I realize, watching the behavior.

"You're coming, right?" Four asks, the only serious one of the trio. I don't know how he can stand them for so long.

"Of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Great. I'll see you then." he says, taking my hands and kissing them again. It's our thing now. I smile and wave at their retreating figures.

* * *

It is now 3:15, and there are fifteen more minutes for the game to start. School ended ten minutes ago, and I'm with Shauna, Christina, Lynn, and Marlene in the girl's bathroom. They're currently dressing me up with some school attire. Even though I tried to get out of it, much like Lynn, they still forced me even though Lynn could break free. Ever since they found out that I was wearing Tobias's jacket, they insist that he has a crush on me, and want me to look good for him after the game.

They dress me into the black t-shirt that says our school name on it. I wear Tobias's jacket on top. Then they put mascara and eyeliner, products that I didn't even think that I would need. I sigh as they finally finish, and Lynn smirks at me. I playfully glare back.

We make our way to the stands in the heat and find the spot that is supposedly 'reserved' for football players family and friends, which is the front row of the stadium. Behind us sit the people who wish they were us. We take a seat, chatting and enjoying the sun, when I hear a voice.

"Hi Christina, Shauna, and Marlene," a girl says, completely ignoring Lynn and I.

Lynn scoffs. "Nice to see you too, bitch." I admire her personality.

"Hey Lauren." Shauna says to the girl, Lauren. She's wearing a skimpy outfit, and honestly, I'm not surprised.

"Wow, Tris, I can't believe that Four invited you here," Lauren says once she finally looks at me with jealousy.

"Lauren! I can finally understand why Four would never invite you." I say, then turn my back at her, noting that she rolls her eyes. Lynn fist bumps me. I smile.

Just then, we hear roaring from the crowd. Realizing that the players must be on the field, I turn and sure enough, there they are, lead by Tobias. The captain and quarterback of the team. I'm so proud. I wave like a maniac until he finally notices me. He smiles and waves, and I notice my heart fluttering. What is with my emotions lately?

I'm snapped out of my thoughts as the ref blows the whistle and the game begins. Four hikes the ball and sends it flying in a graceful motion across the field.

* * *

We won. Arguably, it was all thanks to Four and his tactics. When we were almost about to lose, he gathered the team and gave them a pep talk. It seemed to work, and we got out of the slump and played our hardest.

Everyone is flooding the field, and I'm trying not to get trampled among the crowd as I make my way toward Tobias. When I finally approach him, I see that he's talking to Amar, a serious expression on his face. Then Amar slaps his back appreciatively and Tobias smiles proudly. Suddenly, someone pushes me from behind, sending me flying towards him. Thankfully, he catches me and gathers me up into his arms, holding me bridal style. I blush at our close proximity.

"Good game." I say, and for some reason, I am breathing hard.

"Thanks." he says. I can catch a whiff of his sweat. Grimacing, I squirm in his grip.

"Toby, you need to take a shower.'' I complain.

"Okay, but first I think you deserve a big hug," he says, wearing an arch expression.

Before I can run away he captures me in his arms, crossing them across my waist. "Ew, gross!" I yell, causing people to look in my direction. He laughs, and I can hear the vibrations in his chest. The fluttering is back.

"Thanks for coming. I owe you one." He says, fun dying down.

Suddenly, I have an idea. "Can I ask you the favor right now?"

He raises his eyebrows. "What do you have in mind?"

Gesturing around the field, I say, "Teach me how to play."

* * *

It's Saturday, meaning that Andrew isn't home, meaning that it is the perfect time for the gang and I to hang out in the park. Tobias thought that my idea was a great one, and he told the gang, who all decided that they wanted to spend some couple time and possibly learn some football. Lynn wasn't able to come, though, so Tobias and I were a pair.

So far, he's already taught me how to hold the ball and how to catch it. Now he's teaching me how to throw it.

"So hold the ball like I've taught you." I do so, and he quickly makes some minor adjustments. "Okay, now pull back and throw. Flick your wrist a little if you want to make a spiral. It's okay if you don't get that now, but that would be your goal."

I attempt a throw, key word being 'attempt'. It lands simply a few feet away from me.

"Hmm..." Tobias says, analyzing the throw. Then he places his arms on my stomach. "Never forget to keep the tension here." he whispers into my ear, causing me to blush and the butterflies to return. Then he goes to retrieve the ball.

What is wrong with me? I can't seem to control myself around Tobias.

Sure, I love him, but do I love him in _that_ way?

If my subconscious was right in thinking that I love Tobias, then...

Maybe I do.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, I find myself going to the woods, in the spot that Tobias took us for our outing. It all seems like such a long time ago, which I guess it is. As more and more time passes, I notice that I keep stealing glances at Tobias as if on instinct. I notice things that I didn't see before, like how he has a hooked nose that looks just right on his face and how defined his jawline is.

I'm sitting there now, feet dangling close to the water. I just got a beating from Andrew, and I'm trying to cool off.

"Well, hello there." I hear from a deep, masculine voice. I nearly jump out of my skin, but then I realize... Mmm, Tobias.

"Hi." I say meekly. _Really, Tris? Hi?_ God, I can't do anything right.

He slides into the seat next to me. "What brings you here?"

 _I'm thinking about how I wish the last time you brought me here was a date instead of an outing._ "Oh, nothing really. Just... Andrew happened."

He nods in understanding. "What about you? What are you doing here?" I ask in curiosity.

"Just...you know...Marcus happened." he says, mimicking me, then sighing. "Sometimes I feel like no matter what I do it'll always stay like this." He scoffs. "I'm a coward." He adds, softly.

"No, Tobias. You're incredible." I say, without thinking. I continue to avoid the awkwardness. "You face your fears everyday. That's something honorable." I hang my head. "I, on the other hand, can barely even do that. And when I get to school I let him get the best of me."

He shakes his head. "That girl, who faced bullies everyday in addition to her monster of a father - that brave girl, that's not you?"

I blush slightly, glancing up at him. "You've been paying close attention, haven't you?"

He looks down before looking back at me again. "I like to observe people."

I scoff. "Yeah, right."

I notice his gaze on me. His lips part slightly and he's looking at my eyes, my nose, my lips. _God, does he want to kiss me?_ _Do I want to kiss him?_

 _Yes, Tobias. Kiss me._

And then we're both leaning in and our lips collide. I can feel a fire in tingling in my lips, and I pull him closer, tugging his soft hair. He wraps my arms around my waist.

Then I reluctantly pull back, realizing what he's getting himself into. A girl with numerous problems. Depressed. Ugly. So many adjectives to describe what a waste of time I can be.

"Why did you really watch me, Tobias?" I ask breathlessly.

"Fine." He says, leaning in close again. "I watched you because I liked you."

"But... you're older than I am, Tobias." He could have anyone that he wants, and he chose _me_?

He laughs. "Yes, that one year gap is really _insurmountable_ , isn't it?"

I sigh in desperation. "I'm not trying to be self-deprecating. I just don't get it. I'm younger. I'm not pretty-"

His laughs cut me off again. "Fine. You're not pretty. But I like the way you look." He says, kissing the tip of my nose. "You're deadly smart." He kisses my temple. "And you're so brave." He kisses my cheek.

I can't believe this is happening.

"Tris, you love me, don't you?" he asks.

"Of course, Tobias."

"Then, Tris Prior, will you be my girlfriend?" Fear is evident on his face.

 _Is this what I want? Do I want to lose myself to Tobias?_

I kiss his lips softly in reply. "Yes, Tobias." I say, my forehead touching his. His lips touch mine again, more firm and insistant, and I feel the flames bursting in my chest, my fingers, everywhere that he touches me.

He pulls away for a second. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

His lips find mine again.

* * *

 **TOBIAS**

Ever since the football game, when I carried Tris in my arms, I can't help but wonder if we were meant to be. She fit perfectly into my arms, into my frame. She's so brave and selfless and kind and beautiful... why would she want me?

I go back to the woods, thinking about Tris, all while blowing off steam gained by Marcus. Then I see her. Her beautiful face glows in the sunlight, and her blonde locks of hair are now golden, like a princess.

Deciding to make a move, I say, "Well, hello there." She jumps, then realizes that it's me.

"Hi." she says, quietly, in her melodious voice.

I take a seat next to her, trying not to sit too close or too far away so that she doesn't make any false claims. "What brings you here?"

She seems to be debating something in her mind, then she finally says, "Oh, nothing really. Just... Andrew happened. What about you? What are you doing here?" She asks, changing the subject quickly.

 _I've been thinking about how amazing you are._ "Just... you know... Marcus happened." I say, which isn't a total lie. I sigh, about to confess. I can say anything I want to Tris, and she won't judge me. Another quality that I love about her.

"Sometimes I feel like no matter what I do it'll always stay like this." I scoff. "I'm a coward." And it's true.

"No, Tobias. You're incredible." She says. _Does she like me?_ "You face your fears everyday. That's something honorable." Then she lowers her head as if in shame. "I, on the other hand, can barely even do that. And when I get to school I let him get the best of me."

I shake my head in disbelief. "That girl, who faced bullies everyday in addition to her monster of a father - that brave girl, that's not you?"

She blushes slightly and glances up at me. "You've been paying close attention, haven't you?"

 _Why does she have to be so perceptive?_ "I like to observe people."

She scoffs. "Yeah, right." _She knows me too well._

If she knows me so well already, then why not lose myself entirely? I look at her stormy blue-grey eyes, her long nose, her rosy lips. God, I'm really putting myself out there. Is it worth it?

 _Yes. Yes it is._

And then we're both leaning in and our lips collide. I can feel a fireworks in tingling in my lips when we kiss, and her hands find the back of my head, tugging at my hair. I wrap my arms around her waist, wanting - no, _needing_ more.

Then she pulls back, and I see insecurity in her eyes. If anyone, it should be _me_ who's insecure.

"Why did you really watch me, Tobias?" she asks, a little breathless.

"Fine." I say, leaning in close again. I just displayed my vulnerability. No looking back now. "I watched you because I liked you."

"But... you're older than I am, Tobias." She says.

I laugh. "Yes, that one year gap is really _insurmountable_ , isn't it?"

She sighs. "I'm not trying to be self-deprecating. I just don't get it. I'm younger. I'm not pretty-"

I laugh again. What is she thinking? "Fine. You're not pretty." _You're beautiful._ "But I like the way you look." I say, kissing the tip of her nose, not being able to contain myself. "You're deadly smart." I kiss her temple. I want more. "And you're so brave." I kiss her cheek.

I can't believe this is happening.

"Tris, you love me, don't you?" I ask, going for the final step in the journey.

"Of course, Tobias." She says, without hesitation. _This is it._

"Then, Tris Prior, will you be my girlfriend?"

She kisses my lips softly. "Yes, Tobias." she says, her forehead touching mine.

 _She said yes._

I press my lips against hers again, more firm and insistent with need and want, and I feel the firecrackers bursting in my chest, in my fingers, everywhere that we touch.

I pull away for a moment, wanting to make myself clear. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

My lips find hers again.

* * *

 **A/N: I realized that having the same image on all of my stories might not be so appealing. If you know how to make covers for stories and stuff like that, can you PM me your design? I'll probably use it and I'll mention you on my profile. Thanks.**

 **Also, I have a few ideas for another story. I have a poll on my** **profile page, so if you could vote for your favorite idea, that would be great.**

 **Don't forget to review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I don't own Divergent.**

* * *

Chapter 13

 **TRIS**

The next day, I wake up refreshed and happier than I've been in quite a while. I smile remembering what happened yesterday. I can't believe that I am Tobias Eaton's girlfriend. The girlfriend of the guy that everyone is crushing on.

I get dressed, taking my time to make sure that I look extra special, then leave the house.

When I get to school, I notice Tobias leaning against the lockers and looking at his phone. Smirking, I quietly walk up to him and gave him a small, discreet peck on the cheek. He looks up immediately, then pockets his phone and places his arms on my waist as I stand between his legs.

"I'm still getting used to that." He says, smiling.

I giggle. _Giggle._ Jeez, the things this man does to me. "So am I.''

His smile grows wider and he places a soft kiss on the tip of my nose. "Come on. Let's get to class."

We walk to class, his right arm wrapped against my waist as if it was always meant to be there.

* * *

It's now lunch, and nobody from our group has figured out that we are dating yet. I take my seat at our table, and moments later, Tobias comes and sits next to me. As per ritual: I steal some of his food. Not per ritual: his fingers lacing with mine under the table. I smile and look up at him.

"Tris?" I hear Marlene ask. I whip my head towards her, breaking my gaze with Tobias. "What's going on here?" she asks, wiggling her eyebrows and gesturing between the two of us.

"What do you mean?" I ask, pretending to be oblivious.

"Oh come on Tris. Fess up." Shauna says. I look at Tobias, and he nods slightly. Together we raise our intertwined hands, placing our elbows on the table and showing our friends the truth.

I hear a loud squeal. I cover my ears on instinct, until I realize that it's only Christina. She's wearing the biggest grin. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Pay up, Uri."

Uriah sighs and takes out a ten dollar bill. "Wait a minute. You guys placed a _bet_ on us?" I ask, shocked yet somehow expecting this behavior.

"Yup. You guys couldn't have waited for another week?" Uriah says. I roll my eyes, smiling.

* * *

We have Music now. Tobias and I are walking hand in hand, lagging slightly from the rest of the group. Then I see Lauren sashaying over towards us. I roll my eyes, knowing what will come.

"Hey, Four." She says. "I heard that you're going out with Tris."

Tobias grits his teeth. "Yes, I am. So if you'll excuse us-"

"But why would you want to go out with _her_? I mean just look at her!" She's talking about me as if I'm not even there. I can feel tears prickling in my eyes. She reminds me of Andrew, who talks about me exactly like she is.

"Look, Lauren, Tris _looks_ better than you, she _treats_ _me_ better than you, and most importantly _she's_ not a bitch. So please, just leave us alone." Then he gently grabs my hand and storms off. In my peripheral vision I see Lauren scoffing and confiding in the rest of her clique.

"Don't listen to her, Tris." He says. When I don't say anything, he sighs. "I love you Tris, only you. Don't doubt that."

"But...Tobias... she's not wrong." I say, remembering all those words that Andrew calls me. A slut, even though I've never slept with anybody. A bitch. A disgrace to our family. A mistake.

"Don't listen to him either Tris." He says, knowing whom I'm thinking about. Now we've stopped walking entirely. "Tris, you're it for me. I don't need anyone else. I don't _want_ anyone else. I love you." He says, cupping my face with his hands. The way he says it makes me feel special. He leans down and presses a soft kiss on my lips.

"I love you too."

And suddenly, I feel a whole lot better.

* * *

 ***TIME SKIP***

It's late October now, meaning that homecoming is this week. I've never really been one to celebrate and participate in the activities, but this year, with all of my new friends and Tobias, I'm actually excited. Or it might just be that Christina is rubbing off on me.

On Monday, the junior class had to wear all black. At first, I thought that nobody would, but when I got to school, I could see the swarm of black mixing with the reds, greens, and yellows. It was really cool.

For the rest of the week the school participated in activities such as these, and it was really fun. On Saturday, it's the homecoming dance, and the theme is formal. I watched as brave boys asked shy girls to the dance throughout the week. So far, though, Tobias hasn't popped the question. Since it's Friday, I'm starting to lose hope that he even wants to go with me.

The bell rings, signaling the end of classes this week. Dejectedly, I walk towards the front of the school with Christina.

"Tris, I know that you wanted Four to ask you to the dance, but we can still go!" She says, trying to cheer me up. "I'll tell you what: Shauna, Marlene and I are spending the night at my place, and tomorrow we're prepping for the dance. You should stay with us, it'll be like a girls day."

Just then I hear a pounding of footsteps behind me. "Tris!" I turn around and see Tobias. What does he want? "Can I talk to you for a second?" I look at Christina and she nods in affirmative.

"What's up?" I ask, trying to play it cool. I don't want him to know that I was obsessing over such a minuscule thing.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to homecoming with me?" He asks, hopeful. Honestly, I expected this scene to lay out differently. He would make a corny pun that would ask me to homecoming and I would say yes, laughing at his lame joke while all the girls watch enviously.

Wow, I am turning into such a girl.

"Sure Tobias." I say, then walk back to Christina.

"So?" She asks, anxious.

"I'm going to homecoming." I say simply. I'm still a bit disappointed with Tobias, but we can't have everything, right?

"Yay! Now you _have_ to come to my house!"

What about Andrew?

"Let me just go home and get my stuff." _And make sure that it's okay with the demon that controls my life._

"Okay, I'll text you my address. See you, Tris." She says, and walks back to her car.

When I finally get home, there's a note on the counter. Saying a small prayer, I pick it up. It reads:

 _Another business trip. Be back in two days._

 _\- Andrew_

Thank God. Now I don't have to worry about Andrew for the rest of the weekend, nor make up an excuse to go to the dance. After packing up my stuff that I'll need for the night, I text Christina, letting her know that I'm on my way.

* * *

That night, Marlene, Shauna, Christina and I stay up super late. We watch movies ranging from Disney to chick flicks, and eat enough food to fill us for three days. Then I listen to them gossip while we all paint our nails. I've never had a day like this, but it was really fun, contrary to what I thought earlier.

It is now morning, and everyone around me is hustling.

"Guys, you do realize that it's ten in the morning? The dance starts at five!" I say, confused that they're running around finding accessories and dresses.

"Exactly!" All three of them say, leaving me at a loss of words. I scoff and stand while they run around me.

"Tris," Christina says after finally stopping to catch her breath. "Do you have a dress?" I shake my head, and she gasps. "Come on, we have to go shopping!" she says, and before I can protest, I'm out the door. Now all I have to do is make sure that I don't wear anything too revealing, or she might notice the scars.

* * *

Such a simple task, as it turns out, was extremely difficult. It seems that every dress that Christina wants me to wear could possibly show my scars. By two, we are running out of shops, and Christina is losing her patience.

"Okay, Tris, this is the _last_ shop that we are going into, and we will _not_ leave until we find you a dress!" She says, determined. I just hope that we do end up finding the dress, or else Christina will shower her wrath on me. And that's something I don't want to endure.

"Here!" She says, thrusting towards me another dress. But this dress might actually work. It's a white dress that goes just below my knees and has lacy sleeves.

"Okay, I'll try it." I say, taking it and walking towards the changing rooms. She smiles so wide that I think it probably hurts her.

When I exit the room, she squeals, and I let out a small squeal of my own. It fits perfectly, and for once, I think that I'm decently pretty.

"Yes! It's perfect!" She says. "Now let's get back before Marlene and Shauna wreck my house."

* * *

By 4:30, Shauna, Marlene, and Christina are ready, dresses and makeup done. Now it's my turn for the torture.

"Okay, Tris, we're going to do this super fast before the guys get here, so please try and cooperate, okay?" Shauna says, starting to apply eyeliner on my face.

I must have snoozed off, because I am shaken awake by Christina.

"Tris, hurry, the guys are already here." She says. I look at the time, and it's 5:04. Then I look at myself in the mirror and gasp. I've completely transformed, and it's incredible. Now I know for sure that I'm pretty. Finally.

"Thanks, Christina." I say, giving her a hug. She smiles and returns the gesture. "It's no big deal. Now come on."

We descend down the stairs, and I see Shauna and Marlene being embraced by Zeke and Uriah. Christina runs off to Will, and then I see him.

He's wearing a suit and tie, looking _damn sexy._ I can tell he put a lot of time into his outfit, because he's constantly adjusting his tie as if he were nervous. Then he catches my eye, and his jaw drops. Suddenly, all of the worry that I had about him asking me to the dance is gone. I hurry down the stairs and stand in front of him.

"Wow, Tris, you look... _gorgeous_." He said, eyes traveling the length of my body. I blush, and he adds, "Even more beautiful than usual."

"So do you.'' I say, at a loss for words at his outfit. We share a kiss, then follow the rest of the couples out the door.

We all cram into a van that Zeke rented for the night, Tobias and I sitting in the back seat.

"So," I say a few minutes into the ride. "What excuse did you make to get here?"

"I didn't have to make one. Marcus is out on a business trip."

My face immediately pales. "So is Andrew." His eyes widen.

"Tris! Four! We're here!" Zeke yells from the front seat.

We shakily exit the car, and flashbacks to those horrifying days replay in my mind. I grip onto Tobias's arm for support.

"Tris, are you okay?" Will asks, touching my shoulder. I flinch back, my mind mistaking him for Andrew. He looks at me questioningly before joining Christina again.

"Tris." Tobias says in a whisper. "Just forget about it, okay? Even if anything happens, we should still enjoy the present and not worry about the future." I nod, knowing that he's right, but still a little skeptical.

We enter the school gym, and I can feel the vibrations from the speakers in my chest. The room is humid from so many people.

Tobias takes my hand and drags me onto the dance floor. "Do you know how to dance?" he asks as soon as a slow song comes on. I shake my head, blushing at the thought of us dancing together.

He takes my arms and wraps them around his neck, then proceeds to place his arms around my waist. We sway slowly in time with the music.

"God, you're so tall, Tobias." He's so tall that I almost wish that Christina had given me a pair of heels instead of flats. My arms start to ache after a while.

He laughs and drags me towards his chest. "Then come here." I rest my head on his chest and wrap my arms around his waist like he did to me.

We've been through a lot, Tobias and I. But now I know that whatever happens, that even if Andrew lashes out against me or if Lauren spreads rumors about me, we'll get through it. Together.

Because that's just what we do.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. I posted another one-shot and a pilot chapter for a new story instead, so be sure to check that out.**

 **I figured out how to make a cover for my story, and I'm trying to upload it to the image manager, but it's not working. Is anyone** **else facing the same problem?**

 **As always, don't forget to review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Kinda short chapter and late update, I know, a double whammy :( and I'm guessing that** **you guys won't like the outcome of this chapter either. But at least let me know if you liked that actual chapter itself.**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I still don't own Divergent.**

* * *

Chapter 14

 **TRIS**

Although I hate to admit it, I really enjoyed myself at homecoming dance. It was a fun experience, especially thanks to Tobias. We danced for almost the whole night, and when we got too tired, he took me outside. There we just talked and laughed and shared soft kisses. It was amazing.

Today, Tobias has decided to take me on a date, since both Marcus and Andrew aren't coming for a while now. I'm super excited. I decided not to tell Christina, because I know that Tobias will love how I look no matter what I'm wearing.

So I change into a long sleeved black thermal shirt, and paired that up with my black leggings. I put a grey sweatshirt on top, and lace up my converse. Tobias rings the doorbell just as I'm finishing up.

I open the door, revealing a handsome Tobias. I still can't believe that he's all mine. He kisses me on the cheek, then offers me his hand, which I gladly take.

"Where are we going?" I ask closing the door, hoping that this time, he'll actually tell me.

"I actually have no idea," he says, shrugging his shoulders. "I just thought that we could walk around town...you know..." He seems doubtful. I give him a soft kiss.

"That sounds like a great idea." I say, and I watch as he relaxes again. I laugh at this, and he rolls his eyes at me. Just a typical day for us.

We walk around town, just laughing and talking about random things. I love how I can act so free when I'm with Tobias. _That_ is love.

By the late afternoon, Tobias has already bought me Chinese food (which we remembered was my favorite) and now, much to my protest, he's bought me an ice-cream.

"Come on," he says, gesturing towards the park across the street. We sit on an empty bench and I relish the feeling of my feet finally relaxing. I rest my head on Tobias' shoulder, and he wraps his arm around me.

We share a few moments of silence. "We've been through a lot, haven't we?" He asks.

I glance up at him. "Yeah, we have." I take the hand that's not holding my ice-cream and hold his. "And there will always be more. But we'll get through it. Together." I say, squeezing his hand on 'together'.

He looks down on me, then kisses my chocolatey lips. "I love you." He says, so quietly that I almost didn't catch it.

"I love you too." I say, and he presses his lips on my temple. My eyes flutter shut and I exhale softly.

And there we stay, for minutes or for hours, just enjoying the feeling of being together.

* * *

"I'll see you later." He says, standing on my doorstep.

"Okay. I love you." I say. Then I stand on my tiptoes and we share a kiss.

"I love you too." He says when we break apart, then wave as he leaves the driveway. I smile at his retreating figure. He's amazing, through and through.

I unlock the door to my house, and the smell of alcohol hits my nose. I gasp in surprise. I cleaned the house after Andrew left, which means...

Andrew's back.

But how? He said he would be gone for two days... Which means...

As I'm coming to this realization, his footsteps grow louder and louder, and soon, he's standing right in front of me. I cower back on instinct as he towers above me.

"Did I just see Marcus' son in the driveway?" I gulp and don't respond, not wanting him to harm Tobias in any way possible.

"I asked you a question!" He says, voice and anger rising. I still don't respond. Boy am I going to get it.

"ANSWER ME!" He yells, so loud that I think he must have damaged my ear. And yet, I still don't respond.

That's when the beating starts. But I had it coming.

At midnight is when I can finally get a 'break'. I sit, crouched in the closet, with nothing to eat and nothing to drink. Suddenly I'm glad that Tobias bought us food on our date. I sigh and try to relax in the tiny space. It doesn't help.

I close my eyes, and the first thing I see is Tobias.

I think about how much fun we had today, about our intimate pose that we shared at the park, about what a great friend he's been, about our past, just anything Tobias related.

The next thing I know, I feel drowsy. And as I lose my consciousness, I embrace the darkness.

* * *

The next morning, Andrew opens the door, and light floods my vision temporarily. I blink to adjust to the brightness and Andrew grabs my arms forcefully, lifting me up and out of the closet.

"Get to school, you bitch!" He yells in my ear. I can still smell alcohol in his breath. How much did he drink?

I hurry to get dressed, noting that Andrew woke me up late. I can't wait to get to school to confide in Tobias.

He's already helped me so much without even knowing it. He helped distract me yesterday when I was locked up in the closet, and even when we had the double beating. I know that I probably shouldn't rely on him so much, but I know that he loves me no matter what, and he'll never leave me.

I exit the house quickly and walk to school as fast as I can without the pain. When I get there, I notice that the hallways are empty except for a few people scrambling to open their lockers. Realizing that the bell is almost going to ring, I decide to take my backpack to class, which is Biology.

I sit in my seat next to Tobias as soon as the bell rings. Sighing in relief, I steal a glance at Tobias. He looks awful, and I can see a small bruise forming on the side of his face. I can only assume that he went through the same thing that I did last night. He avoids my gaze all through class. At first I think it's because he wants to pay attention, but then I realize that there must be another reason, because Tobias rarely even _tries_ to pay attention in class.

When the bell rings signaling the end of class, I bend over my desk to pick up my backpack, but when I lift my head up again, Tobias is fleeing out the door. I rack my brain for any recent instance when I have said something to insult him or make him ignore me, but nothing comes up.

I just hope that whatever happens, Tobias knows that I'm there for him, and that hopefully, he'll talk to me soon.

* * *

At lunch, I walk towards our lunch table, limping slightly, and take a seat next to Tobias, who has his hood up, forehead on the table, and is seemingly disengaged from all conversation. I take his hand in mine and give it a soft squeeze.

"Tobias?" I ask softly, so that no one can hear. "Is everything okay?"

He gives me a sideways glance, and I can see that he has a conflicted look on his face. His eyebrows furrow when he sees me, and he immediately turns his head back and continues staring at the ground, closing his eyes.

I rub his back, hoping to soothe him while avoiding any new cuts on his back. After a while he sighs and says, "Tris, can I talk to you later?"

Thinking this is about Marcus, I say, "Sure. Whenever you feel like it, Tobias." Then I give him a soft peck on the cheek before proceeding to eat my lunch.

* * *

The bell rings and teens file out of their classes and move to their lockers. I finish packing my stuff and wait for Tobias, who has yet to tell me what's going on.

"Tris!" I turn around and see the rest of the gang, Uriah at the head. "D'ya wanna hang out today? We were thinking about going to the Pit, the new restaurant downtown?" He asks, smiling wide in anticipation, hoping that I would say yes. Though I have to say no, of course.

"Uri-" I am cut off when I hear a clearing of a throat behind me. When I turn around again, I see Tobias.

"Can we talk now?" He asks, worriedly glancing at our friends. I nod, and he drags me off toward a part of the hallway that has already been cleared.

We stand in silence for a while, so I decide to start the conversation. "Tobias, what's going on? You're-"

"Tris I'm breaking up with you." He states, running a hand through his hair, now ragged due to the repeated action.

At first I can't believe it. " _What?"_ I choke out in disbelief.

"Tris, it's for your own good." He says, then winces at his word choice. "I mean, I know you got hurt yesterday from Andrew. And it was all because of me. I can't hurt you anymore, Tris, and this is the only way."

I scoff. "No, it's _not,_ Tobias! I _need_ you, please..." I say, pleading, _begging,_ that he stay with me. I can't lose him again. I just can't.

"I'm sorry, Tris, but it's for the best." He says, then starts walking away. Suddenly I feel a wave of anger coursing through me, burning in my blood. How _dare_ he leave me? _Again?_ After he _promised_ me that he wouldn't?

I take a step forward, and before I can process what I'm doing, my palm connects with his cheek.

He gasps in surprise, clutching his cheek with his hand, but I ignore it. A hot tear leaks out of my eye.

" _Fuck_ you." I say, resisting the urge to slap him again. "You're just like him, you know that? I don't want to be with you anymore, because you're _just like him._ Just fucking leave!" I'm yelling now, and he narrows his eyes at me.

"That's what I was doing! So _good riddance_ to you, _Beatrice._ " He spits out my name just like him, and storms off.

The anger rush dies down once I see him leaving and real tears fall on my cheeks this time. I let out something between a strangle and a sob, as I watch him exit the school, not looking back.

The girls rush towards me, and I realize that they were probably close enough to have understood what was happening. So if I can't have my best friend back, I'm glad to know that I'll at least have them.

* * *

 **A/N: I know the break-up seemed really quick, but remember the time skip from the previous chapter? They ended up dating for a month-ish.**

 **Yet another poll on my profile page, this time it's not so exciting. Votes would be great.**

 **Special shout-out to Wrenlovesreading: be sure to check out her stories! And thank you guys so much for all of the reviews that this story is getting, they seriously make my day. Keep it up! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I unfortunately** ** _still_** **do not own Divergent.**

 ***At Onnika2003 (the guest reviewer): That was also my idea, just a little different. Hope you like how it plays out in the next couple of chapters.**

 **Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 15

 **TRIS**

"Oh, Tris," Christina says, pulling me into her embrace as Tobias leaves the school. I immediately return it as the stream of tears fall on my cheeks.

"Come on, I have ten tubs of ice-cream with your name on it." She says, dragging me away from the school and towards her car. I stay planted, realizing that I still have Andrew to deal with.

"Christina, just let me get some stuff from home. I'll meet you at your place. I'll even stay for the night" I say, letting me into her house quite rudely. She nods in approval.

"Okay. The rest of the girls are probably going to come too, if that's alright." I nod, wiping away my tears and heading in the direction of my house.

* * *

Before going home, I make a quick detour to the nearest drug store and apothecary. I search the isles for a specific drug, then return to the line for the cashier.

"Hi, I'm Johanna." The cashier says, turning towards me. She takes the bottle and scans it. "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

"Yes, I did actually," I say, trying to polite. "Do you know how I can take this drug?"

She squints at the bottle. "Hm, a peace serum? You can easily put them in bread."

"Okay, thanks." I say, paying her and exiting the shop.

I need this for myself. I think that I deserve one day of self wallowing.

At home, I quickly whip up the dinner, then look at the peace serum bottle, hoping to add it to Andrew's dish.

 _"1 drop for 1 hour of peace"_ is written on the bottle. I do a quick calculation: since I don't want to be home for the weekend, I should add 48 drops into his bread. I do so as quickly as possible, slipping in a few more drops for a good measure.

The door slams shut just as I finished setting the table. I bow my head in greeting as Andrew enters the house. Of course, he doesn't acknowledge me and instead washes his hands and starts eating. I take my seat across from him, silently saying our grace like we used to do with our mother, and do the same.

Throughout the dinner I see Andrew's eyes dilate more and more. When he's nearly finished, he starts laughing hysterically. It makes me want to laugh, too, but I quickly slip out of the house as he starts to give hugs to any objects that he can find, starting with the pillows on the couch.

When I finally get to Christina's house, I notice a lot of cars in the front of her house. I hope she didn't turn this into a party, though I don't think so since I can't hear any music coming from inside.

I knock on the door, and Christina answers immediately, pulling me into a hug which I gladly return.

"Come on, Tris." She says, opening the door wider so that I can enter the house. "I was half-expecting that you wouldn't even show up!" She says, and I shake my head, chuckling slightly.

"There's no way I would do that. I mean, after what happened..." I suck in a deep breath and display a smile that I know doesn't reach my eyes. "It's nice having you guys around."

I know she can see that I'm half-smiling, but she choses to ignore it and says, "Of course." I follow her into her living room, a spacious room with a small table, a couch, and a TV against the wall. Then I see the entire gang, excluding Tobias, sitting there in a small circle. That explains all of the cars.

"Wha-What are you guys doing here?" I ask to the boys, Uriah, Zeke, and Will.

"Well, I talked to Four, but he was acting all bitchy. I think he just wanted to have some time to himself. So instead we decided to come here!" Zeke says, flashing is usual smile, as if nothing has happened. I can't help but smile back at his positive attitude.

I settle in between Uriah and Christina. "Well." I say, sighing as I open a pint of vanilla ice-cream. "Let's get this party started."

Christina puts on a bunch of movies, mostly chick-flicks. And obviously every time people kiss I have to burst into tears. Everyone was extremely supportive, though. I'm so glad to have these people as my friends.

At around eleven, the doorbell rings. For a second I tense up, thinking that it's Andrew and that I messed up on the dosage.

"I'll get it," Christina says through a yawn as she gets up to get tothe door. I hear it opening and some yelling. Then, seemingly much to Christina's protest, a man enters the door.

"I'm just looking for Zeke..." He says, but whatever comes next is lost.

It's Tobias.

I immediately tense up looking at him. His eyes, hard and steely when he first entered, now grow into the soft eyes that I know Tobias for as he notices me on the couch.

There is palpable tension in the air. I see Christina sending me an apologetic smile through my peripheral vision, but I can't take my eyes off Tobias.

He seems to have taken the break-up pretty well, since there are no signs of him feeling remorse whatsoever. I, on the other hand, have hogged through three pints of ice-cream in my pajamas, with tear-stained cheeks and matted hair.

After a few more moments, he rubs his neck and says, "Sorry...I'll just...I'll go now." He says, backing out of the house. Christina closes the door behind him and sighs loudly.

"I think it's time to call it a night, don't you guys?" Everyone nods and begin setting up the sleeping bags on the floor.

I listen as the sounds of my friends even out, then slip on my shoes and exit to the back patio of the house. The cold night air stings my face but I embrace it, taking in deep breaths of the fresh air.

"Tris?" I hear, and turn around. Of course it's Christina.

"Hey," I say softly, turning back as she comes and stands next to me.

''Are you okay?" She asks. I nod.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for today, it really helped." I say, realizing that I haven't even thanked her yet.

"It's no problem." A few minutes of silence later, she says, "You know you can tell me anything, right? Sometimes talking helps."

Maybe she's right. It couldn't hurt, right? Even though she is a loudmouth, I know that my secrets are safe with her. I just won't tell her about the abuse.

"Well..." I brace myself, and notice her doing the same. "T-Four and I used to best friends up until when I was twelve and he was fourteen. Then he just moved. He told me the day before, but he didn't tell me where he was going. He just gave me this necklace, and told me that he had one too. So for four years I was alone, without any friends since they all turned to bullies...and my mom died, too."

She gasps and rubs my back soothingly. "Then my dad got a job offer here, and we moved. Our dads were and now are business partners, so my dad invited them over for dinner. That's when I realized that Four was T-well, my long lost friend. I tried to tell him but he was bullying me, which you know. Then one day I just snapped and told him that I was that friend that he left behind."

Her eyes light up. "Right! That was the time when he suddenly changed." I nod.

"Then he wanted to make it up to me, so he took me out to the carnival, near Navy Pier. And then he took me to his secret place and that was when I decided that I needed him back in my life as a friend. But then I started feeling... _feelings_ towards him that I never felt before. We met at the same spot and then we kissed and decided to be boyfriend and girlfriend." I smile remembering those times. I notice Christina barely hiding a smile at my expression.

"It was great for a while. Our dads didn't know about us dating, because we didn't think they would approve if they found out. Anyways, the day after the dance, Four decided to take me on a date, since our parents were on a business trip. Unfortunately, they came back earlier than we anticipated, and my dad saw To-Four standing at my doorstep." I sigh, shaking my head.

"And today, he told me that we couldn't be together anymore because of our parents..." I grip the patio railing.

Christina is silent for a few moments. Then: "Thank you for telling me." She says, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Maybe he just realized that hiding from your parents wasn't the right thing to do." I mentally scoff. _If only she knew the whole truth._

"I'll tell you what. Zeke was telling me that he would probably have a party tomorrow. The whole school will be there, so you can find someone else. Maybe that can get your mind off of things."

 _I don't want anyone else. I just want Tobias._ "Sure, Christina, that sounds great." I say instead. I give her a smile, which she returns, and we head back into the house, where I fall into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

The next day, Uriah and Zeke leave early, promising to hold "One of the best Pedrad parties yet".

Christina and the rest of the girls find me a dress and doll me up so that you can't tell that I just went through the aftermath of a breakup. It's red and slightly flowy that goes to my knees.

We leave Christina's house and head towards the Pedrads. We can already hear the bass thumping from a block away. The sidewalks are packed with people walking. They were right when they said that they would throw an awesome party.

We enter the house, and Christina goes off to find Will, telling me to, "Have fun tonight."

So I walk around, declining all drinks that are passed in my direction.

It goes later and later into the night, and although I have seen a few cute guys, none of them compare to Tobias. Maybe it's too soon to be finding someone else.

Deciding that this is the case, I go upstairs, trying to find the bathroom so that I can take of my makeup. I open a random door, hoping that I find the bathroom, but instead I find the bedroom.

And an image that I had hoped I would never have to see.

Nita, the school's whore, and Four, sucking each others faces off.

* * *

 **A/N: So I know that I usually update at least within a week, but time has been slipping away from me lately and I expect it to do so even more once school starts. This also goes for my other story 'Love can't be muted' (Please R &R if you haven't already). I just wanted to give a heads-up in advance, and thank you for your patience with all of this. You all are the most awesome people ever. ****Seriously.**

 **Credit goes to Wrenlovesreading for the peace serum idea.**

 **I really want to give a shoutout to the following people who have been doing the same for me: Wrenlovesreading, Frostybailey, and Dr. Odyssey. Lovers of the Divergent trilogy, please check out their stories: they are truly amazing stories written by equally amazing people.**

 **Again, votes for my poll would be great. You can find it on my profile page.**

 **Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: No matter how hard I try, I will never own Divergent.**

 **Some swearing and sexual references at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

Chapter 16

 **TRIS**

 _I go upstairs, trying to find the bathroom so that I can take off my makeup. I open a random door, hoping that I find the bathroom, but instead I find the bedroom._

 _And an image that I had hoped I would never have to see._

 _Nita, the school's whore, and Four, sucking each others faces off._

I gasp, loudly and unfortunately audibly. They turn their heads towards me. Nita's shirt slips down, having ridden up by Tobias, and Tobias' hair is messy. Nita looks at me, smirking, but Tobias's emotions are impossible to read on his face.

Caught red handed.

I slam the door so that they can resume their making out session and fly down the stairs, trying not to have another breakdown.

My eyes frantically search for Christina's, whose car I came in to the party. Ugh, where is she?

I feel claustrophobic. I need to get out of here. _Now._ I back out of the living room when I bump into somebody.

Zeke.

"Woah, Tris, are you alright?" His words aren't slurred in the slightest, which surprises me.

"You haven't had anything to drink, have you?" He shakes his head.

"Nope. Mom's going to be home tomorrow, and guess who has to clean up?" He asks rhetorically, pointing towards himself. He drops his hands when he sees the look on my face. "But seriously, are you okay?"

I shake my head, the image of Four and Nita fresh in my memory. "Zeke...I saw..." I shake my head. It hurts too much.

He places a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Hey, calm down, OK? Deep breaths." I do so.

"I saw Four... in an _intense_ make out session... with Nita."

"What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. You're sober, right? You can see for yourself."

He shakes his head. "I believe you. But just hang tight, okay? It'll be okay." He says, pulling me into a hug. I'm so grateful for Zeke, he's like a big brother to me.

For the rest of the night, which soon turns into ungodly hours of the morning, I look for Christina, but I can't find her anywhere. Then I realize that Will isn't there either. So I end up forgetting the search all together.

I sink into the couch, sitting on the far edge to avoid the couple making out right next to me. Then I see _her._

Fire courses through me, the same fire that I felt just _yesterday_.

I know what I have to do. Christina's right.

If I ever want to be happy in a relationship, I have to let go. Just like he's already done.

It starts now.

I walk towards her, not taking my eyes off of her as I push through the drunk crowd.

She notices me through her peripheral vision and smirks at me, sipping her drink.

I flash her a fake smile. "Hey Nita. Are you and T-Four together now?" I ask directly. If she's been drinking, she shouldn't have any problem answering this at all.

She giggles, which I can't help but think is fake. "Yeah, he said so himself." I ignore the sinking feeling in my chest and rip off the necklace that's been hanging on my neck for the past four years.

"Here. Tell Four to change this to an 'N'." I say, handing it off. She looks at it admirably. "He would want you to have it."

She smiles at me. "Thanks, Tris. You're not as bad as I thought you were!" I smile back, ignoring that last comment, and go back to sit on the couch.

I watch as Nita shows off her necklace to all her whore friends proudly, telling them that Four got it for her. I sigh.

 _I can't wait for this night to end._

* * *

 **NITA**

I heard that Four and Tris broke up. That makes the party a perfect opportunity to make him mine.

I see Tris walking towards me. I smirk. _Is she still jealous?_

She smiles, but I know it's a fake. "Hey Nita. Are you and T-Four together now?" _Does she_ _know his real name?_

I fake giggle, an art that I've mastered many years ago. In reality, she's annoying me so much with all the questions. "Yeah, he said so himself." I lie. _There. That should tell her not to talk to me again._

She takes off her necklace. Rumor at school says that when she showed Four the necklace, he broke down. "Here. Tell Four to change this to a 'N'." She says, giving it to me. "He would want you to have it." _The letter N for Nita? Sweet!_

I smile for real this time. "Thanks, Tris. You're not as bad as I thought you were!"

I show off the necklace to my friends. Four is all mine now.

* * *

 **TOBIAS**

There are no words to describe how terrible I felt after breaking things off with Tris. I know that she is probably the only one right for me, but I can't stand to see her get hurt. She might not understand it right now, but I broke up with her because I love her. She deserves to be with someone who won't make her dad shower his reign on her.

I was sitting in my room rethinking everything when Zeke called me. I picked up but immediately regretted it. I was in no mood to talk. So instead I hung up and sat in complete silence the entire day, just thinking.

Then I decided that the way I acted with Zeke really wasn't right, so I went to his house. His mom told me that he was at Christina's, so I went there afterwards. She didn't let me in, but I understand now. It was because Tris was there. She looked awful, just because of me.

I knew I had to let go. So when I heard that there would be a Pedrad party, I decided to go to let loose a bit.

I downed nearly every bottle that was offered to me. The last thing I remember is going upstairs to the bathroom.

Now I find myself sleeping in a bed, in what I know is not my house. I must have fallen asleep at Zeke's house.

I sit up, wincing as my hangover catches up with me. I walk downstairs and raid the Pedrad cabinets, trying to find some Advil.

I hear a snarky chuckle behind me. "So first you have sex with Nita on a bed in my house, then you sleep in it _uninvited,_ and then you completely destroy the cabinets? What the hell, Four?"

I turn around, and there stands Zeke. "What do you mean?" Is all I can say after what I just heard. _I had sex with Nita? What?_

He steps forward. "Don't play dumb with me. Tris told me everything." _Tris saw us?_

"Zeke, I have no idea what you're talking about. The last thing I remember from last night is going upstairs to find the bathroom. I was drunk off my ass."

He looks at me skeptically. "Tris told me that she went upstairs and saw that you and Nita were making out in the bedroom." He scoffs. "I can't believe you. You break the poor girls heart, and then she finds out that you're already with someone else in less than 24 hours? Do you know how fucking _sad_ she was?"

"Zeke...I..." _feel like crying and am hating myself right now._ "I don't remember anything that happened. Seriously. I didn't do it on purpose. I was drunk-"

"You were drunk. You should have known that she would come to the party, and you should have stayed sober knowing that she would be there. Don't blame this on Nita,"

"How was I supposed to know that she would be there? She _hates_ parties!"

"I invited the whole freakin' school, Four!" He yells. "She was suffering from her _first_ breakup! She needed a break from it all!"

He sighs and looks down before looking back at me. "Why did you break up anyways? Things were going so good for you guys..." He says, calmed down.

I sigh and turn back towards the cabinets, headache more prominent with all of the shouting. "I can't tell you."

He walks closer so that he's standing next to me. "I know you know that she was the one. You two were always there for each other, like she was the other half of you. I _know_ you know that. Dude, you have to fix this."

He's right. He's so f-ing right.

Because I love her.

Only her.

That's the way it's been all along.

Reality comes crashing down on me, and so the tears. The sobs shake my body until it hurts to cry. Zeke stays by me the entire time.

Once I've gotten myself under control, he claps me on the shoulder. "It'll be okay, man."

I hope he's right. It won't be easy to get Tris to trust me again. And even if she may never want to be with me again, I want her to know that I love her. Forever and always.

And if what Tris saw and what Zeke says is true, then our path to recovery has to start with Nita.

* * *

 **A/N: Zeke saves the day (and our favorite OTP)!**

 **Hope you like the update, I'm trying to get as many updates as possible before school starts...**

 **Thanks to the guest Onnika2003 for** **the idea about Zeke and Four's encounter, and thanks to emm3reading for reminding me that I haven't done Tobias's POV for a while :)**

 **Don't forget to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry for the unexcused wait guys. Here's the next chapter, as terrible as it is.**

 **Disclaimer: I think we all know what I'm going to say here.**

* * *

Chapter 17

 **TOBIAS**

When school starts up again, I head to school, my mind racing with ways by which I can talk to Tris again. _My Bea. How could I have been so stupid?_

I don't care if Marcus or Andrew don't approve. I just know that when I'm with her, nothing else matters. I can be myself with her. It's only her. And if Andrew and Marcus do serve as a threat in our lives, then I know I can get through it with her.

 _Her. But where is she?_

My eyes search frantically among the swarm of students, but I can't seem to find her anywhere. Did she miss school today?

After a few minutes, I shake my head disappointedly and head to my locker. I enter my combination, but the locker remains closed. I try again, getting the same result. The third time doesn't do the trick either. Okay, now I'm pissed, and I've only been here for ten minutes.

Frustrated, I slam my fist against my locker. A calm hand rests on my shoulder, stopping me from potentially denting the locker.

"Calm down, dude." Zeke.

I grumble and try opening my locker again. "Sorry." This time it opens. Zeke waits for me as I retrieve my materials from my locker and we begin walking towards the classrooms. Unfortunately our journey was stopped all to soon by...

Nita.

She gives me a flirty smile. "Hey Four!" Then she takes something out of her pocket. "Tris told me to give you this. She said you could change it to an 'N'." She says, handing me a necklace. Then I realize that it's the same necklace that I gave her all those years ago.

 _"I got you something," I tell her. I take out a box from my pocket and open it, revealing a shiny necklace with the letter "T" on it that I had gotten specially for her. "Here. I have the bracelet one, see?" I say, pointing to my wrist. "This way, we'll never forget each other, no matter where we are."_

 _"Thank you, Tobias." She says, tears flowing like a river on her face. "Toby, I'll miss you so much"._

 _"I'll miss you too, Bea" I say, wiping her tears._

Nita continues to thrust the necklace in my direction. I take it from her, but I know I'm not going to be having it changed any time soon. Placing it in my pocket so that it's out of reach, I tell her the truth up front.

"Listen Nita, I don't know what happened at the party, but all I know is that you took advantage of me. As terrible as that is, I'll let you go on one condition. That you leave me and Tris the hell alone? Understood?" I say quietly, which I found seems more dangerous than yelling. She gulps and nods. At least that is taken care of.

I'm about to walk off, but then I see her. She and Christina are chatting quietly by her locker. I push my way through the crowd, Zeke long forgotten, and make my way towards her.

"Tris!" I say when I'm almost there. She looks in my direction and her eyes widen. Then she and Christina scuttle off, leaving me alone. I run a hand through my hair. This is going to be harder than I thought.

* * *

Science couldn't be weirder. We still haven't moved seats, so Tris is still sitting next to me. When I entered the class she was doodling in her notebook and failed to meet my eyes. She didn't look up once the entire period, not even when Ms. Mathews wrote on the white board.

The bell rings and she jumps from her seat, collects her things and leaves in a flash. If this keeps up I don't know if I'll ever get a chance to talk to her.

"Four," I hear from behind me. I turn around and face Peter and Eric. They haven't been able to do much without me, yet it still sickens me every time I think about what I've done to others.

"What do you want?" I ask.

"Since you're not with that Tris girl anymore we were wondering if you want to join us again." Peter says. I arch my eyebrow. I've left that life behind.

"Come on, Four, we'll be unstoppable! Just think-" I cut off Eric by raising my hand.

"My answer is no, so please, just leave me alone." I say, successfully ending to conversation and exiting the classroom.

I make my way to the cafeteria, hoping that Tris will be there too. But when I get there I see something completely unexpected.

Tris, completely covered in tomato soup.

I look around, eyes scanning for the victim. That's when I realize that it's probably Nita. I find her standing a few feet away, a clearly faux expression of worry on her face.

I storm towards her. "What the hell?" I say, pointing an accusing finger towards her. She looks up at me with that fake face.

"Four, I didn't do anything! Why would I? It was Tris' own fault that she spilled her lunch!" She says. That would have almost been a believable excuse, but I know that Tris barely eats anything, and never buys the cafeteria food.

I jab my finger towards her chest. "I told you not to mess with her!" I say, anger rising. Her eyes widen, realizing that she's been caught and how seriously I meant it. But with Tris, I feel every urge to protect her. And though it may sound cliche, if someone messes with her, they have to mess with me, too.

"Just leave her alone, Four." I hear a voice tell me. Tris. I turn around, my eyes meeting her watery ones. "It's my fault anyway." She says, then runs out of the cafeteria, Christina on her heels.

I look at Zeke and immediately know what he's thinking. I chase after them, following the sound of their feet. I find them near the other side of the school, Tris curled in a ball and Christina right next to her. When Christina sees me, she glances cautiously at Tris, who just nods. That must mean something in girl code, because Christina gets up, leaving us alone.

I take Christina's place, and an awkward silence rests among us. Then I decide to make a move.

"Tris, I got you something." I say, and she looks up from her fetal position, glancing curiously at me. I take out the necklace and hand it to her.

"Here," I say, giving it to her, but she doesn't take it, instead resuming her old position. I sigh.

"Tris, I'm sorry, okay? I know what I did was stupid and I'm asking for your forgiveness. Can't you at least give that to me?" I ask, feeling frustrated.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead by now. "If you were really asking forgiveness, you wouldn't get so mad at me!" She yells, shooting up from her position. "And why in the world would you create such a big scene in the cafeteria! It was my fault anyways and we aren't even together!"

I stand up as well, brushing off my pants, and take a deep breath. "Tris." I say, trying again. "I need you back in my life. The way I acted in the cafeteria was on instinct... I still care about you."

There's a hint of sadness in her eyes, but it's gone as soon as it came. "Then how do you explain what I saw at the party! Back then you didn't seem to care much about me!" She counters.

"God, Tris, why are you so stubborn!" I yell back. "You know what, I can't even believed I was ever in love with such a stubborn, unforgiving girl like you. Just forget it!" I say, but in my mind I think: _What are you_ _doing, Tobias?_

"Good!" She says, and the bell rings, signaling the end of our argument. We storm off in opposite directions.

This is not how I wanted things to go.

* * *

 **TRIS**

I walk into the cafeteria, having dealt with the most awkward lesson of all time.

I weave my way through the lunch line towards the tables, when suddenly I feel a hot liquid on myself. Gasping, I look down. Soup. Everywhere.

Before I can even respond, Tobias - or Four, now - marches towards Nita. "What the hell?" he say, pointing an accusing finger towards her. _But I thought they were dating...?_

"Four, I didn't do anything! Why would I? It was Tris' own fault that she spilled her lunch!" She says. Ha. Even he knows that I don't eat school lunches.

He pushes her forcefully. "I told you not to mess with her!" he says. _What is going on? Does he still care about me?_ My heart warms a bit, but I push the feeling down. _Move on, Tris. He doesn't deserve you._

"Just leave her alone, Four." I say, interrupting them. "It's my fault anyway." I say, then run out of the cafeteria. No matter how hard I try, I can't get Tobias out of my head.

I can hear Christina behind me, but I just run, and don't stop until I'm nearing the other side of the school. I sink against the lockers and rest my head on my knees. Christina catches up to me moments after, and she sits by me, rubbing my back. She's been amazing these past few days. Then I hear more footsteps, and I know that they belong to Tobias. Christina glances cautiously at me, gaging my reaction, but I nod. I have to face him at some point.

Tobias takes Christina's place, and an awkward silence forms.

 _Just push him away Tris. Then you won't have to deal with him again._

"Tris, I got you something." he says, and I look up, meeting his blue eyes that I had fallen for. He takes out the necklace that I had given Nita and hands it to her.

"Here," he says, handing it to me. _Push him away. Don't let him know that you miss him._ When he realizes that I'm not taking the necklace, he sighs.

"Tris, I'm sorry, okay? I know what I did was stupid and I'm asking for your forgiveness. Can't you at least give that to me?" He asks, and I can sense frustration in his voice. _Who is he to be getting mad? It should be_ me _who is getting mad at_ him _!_

I glare at him, hoping to intimidate him. "If you were really asking forgiveness, you wouldn't get so mad at me!" I yell and stand up, choosing anger over reason. "And why in the world would you create such a big scene in the cafeteria! It was my fault anyways and we aren't even together!"

He stands up as well and brushes off his pants, seemingly trying to calm himself. "Tris." I say, trying again. "I need you back in my life. The way I acted in the cafeteria was on instinct... I still care about you."

My heart does a little dance before I can stop it, but I pick anger as my response again and say, "Then how do you explain what I saw at the party! Back then you didn't seem to care much about me!" In my mind and heart, all I can think is _He still cares about me. He loves me._

"God, Tris, why are you so stubborn!" He yells at me. "You know what, I can't even believed I was ever in love with such a stubborn, unforgiving girl like you. Just forget it!" _Of course you hate me. Stupid heart, getting my hopes up._

"Good!" I say with a heavy heart but firm tone, and the bell rings, ending our argument. I storm off, looking for Christina.

Though what he said hurt me, at least I know that I am one step closer to letting go.


	18. Chapter 18

**Sometimes I think time is my worst enemy... like right now.**

 **I'm currently editing previous chapters while updating new ones. The edits aren't huge ones; they're more like spelling and grammatical fixes, so you don't have to go back and re-read anything (unless you want to, of course).**

 **Disclaimer: It hasn't changed - I still don't own Divergent.**

* * *

Chapter 18

 **TRIS**

I walk towards my locker, avoiding the stares of my peers. Christina is already waiting there, picking at her chipped nails. When she sees me approaching, she hands me some clothes.

"I got these for you." She says.

I give her a grateful smile. I would be a mess without her. "Thanks so much Christina, for everything." I say, extending my arms out for a hug. She instead leans back, a disgusted look on her face.

"Nuh uh. You're all stinky and... well, gross." She says with a smile on her face. I return the gesture.

After I get dressed in a record speed, we head to our other classes, and I leave all thoughts of Tobias behind.

* * *

The bell rings and Christina and I exit the english classroom, eager to leave school.

"So, Tris," she starts immediately. "I've literally been dying to ask you: what did Four want to tell you?"

I sigh. "Do I _have_ to tell you?" I whine. She send me a do-it-or-you'll-regret-it glare that I've grown to learn as I got to know her.

I raise my arms up in surrender. "Alright, fine, fine." I say, and she squeals, clapping her hands in victory. I sigh.

"Well..." I trail off, not knowing where to start. "Um, after he left, he offered me my necklace again, but I didn't take it... and then we got into this huge argument..." I shake my head, sighing. We really weren't meant to be.

Apparently my poor description isn't up to par with Christina's expectation, because she says, "What were you fighting about?"

"Well, after I didn't take the necklace, he got mad because I wasn't forgiving him."

"So what you're saying is," Christina says, rising her eyebrows in what seems to be excitement. "That he wants you to forgive him?"

I nod slowly. "Yes, Christina, I don't know why that's-" I'm cut off by her squealing again.

''Tris, don't you understand what that means?" She exclaims. I roll my eyes.

"Clearly I don't, because you're all excited over what seems like nothing to me." It's her turn to roll her eyes this time.

"It _means_ that he wants to get together with you again! That _is_ what you want, right?" She says, unsure.

"Yeah, I guess," I say, actually not sure. "But that doesn't mean he has the right to get all snappy with me!" There's the anger again.

"He got snappy because he wants to get back together _now._ He doesn't want to have to wait, which, I admit, is a bit stupid, but really it's just him getting his girl back. You should be happy that he still cares about you after everything.'' She says. Since when did she know so much?

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to get a good sense of my feelings.

 _..._

 _The bullies stole my lunch, but it doesn't matter. Tobias offered me his. After a few moments of comfortable silence of us eating, he says, "You know what, Bea? I think we'll be great friends."_

 _He's never made such an accurate prediction._

 _..._

 _"Bea!" Tobias says, scrolling through his iPod. "Look, I found the perfect song that represents us."_

 _"Really?" I get up from my chair, curious. "Which one is it?"_

 _"Count on Me." He says, reading the title. "Here, listen," he offers me one earbud and I take it._

 _Listening to the song, I really know that he'll be there for me, in all of the situations that the song states._

 _I smile at him as the iPod plays the next song on his queue. Then I snuggle into his chest, one of my favorite places to be, as he wraps an arm around me._

 _"Love you, Toby." I tell him._

 _He smiles down on me. "Love you too."_

 _..._

 _"Shhh, Bea, it's okay, I'm here," his words soothe me over and over again, like a mantra, as I try to calm down after telling him my past. When I finally can control my breathing, he rests his chin on top of my head as I bury my face into his chest. I take in his scent, something that I once associated with safety, and find it still there. Now that I've found him and that he trusts me and I trust him, I never,_ ever _, want to let go._

 _..._

 _The whip lashes agains me again and again. I can't breathe, I can't think. I can't. I just can't._

 _I look at Tobias. His eyes are full of rage and he sends daggers in Andrew's direction. I watch as he fights against Marcus. And even though he doesn't succeed, it's the thought that counts, right?_

 _He still cares._

 _..._

 _I take in a shaky breath. "I could have lost you, Tobias," I say, my voice cracking and my bottom lip quivering remembering our severe beating the day before. I press my head further into him. "I could have lost you."_

 _He wraps his arms around me. "I could have lost you, too."_

 _And I finally break. It starts as a slow moan but turns into full on sobbing. And he holds me through it all, though I can tell he's trying to hold it together as his Adam's apple bobs up and down._

 _When I start to calm down, he simply says, "Sleep. I'll fight off the bad dreams if they get to you."_

 _Never have I been more grateful for his presence. It calms me, tells me that maybe, just maybe..._

 _I'll be okay._

 _..._

 _"We've been through a lot, haven't we?" He asks once we sit on the bench at the park._

 _I glance up at him. "Yeah, we have." I take the hand that's not holding my ice-cream and hold his. "And there will always be more. But we'll get through it. Together." I say, squeezing his hand on 'together'._

 _He looks down on me, then kisses my chocolatey lips, making my heart flutter like every other time we've kissed._

 _"I love you." He says, so quietly that I almost didn't catch it. But that's what makes it more special. It's just him and me._

 _"I love you too." I say, and he presses his lips against my temple. My eyes flutter shut and I exhale softly._

 _I realize just how much I've missed my favorite spot._

 _..._

I gasp and open my eyes, which are now watery. What the hell was I thinking? It's clear that I love Tobias, no matter what the situation.

"Christina..." I gulp the bile in my throat. "I don't know what to do,"

"Talk to him!" She urges. "Only then will he know that you care about him, too."

I take a deep breath. _Talk to him. Talk to him._ "Okay, okay." I exhale and glance up at Christina.

"You're an amazing friend, you know that?"

She smirks. "Of course I knew that. Now go get your boy-toy!" She says, laughing. I give her a quick smile before exiting the building.

* * *

 _What to do, what to do?_

Tobias must have left school by now, and I'm due at home since the peace serum must have worn off by now.

 _I'll just talk to him at school._ I think before rushing home.

I unlock the front door, unfortunately to be met by Andrew.

"Where were you last night?" He demands.

How does he even know that I was out? I thought he would be too high to realize that I was gone.

"I... I was..." He doesn't let me finish my sentence as the palm of his hand connects with my cheek.

* * *

You can only guess what happened after that.

Currently I sit in the closet of my room, shivering. It's extremely cold in here due to the season and I don't have anything to keep me warm.

I hear the door squeak and frown. How could he have let me out so early?

The door opens further, and I am met with a deep blue eyes.

"Tobias?" I ask. It could only be him. "What are you doing here?"

The figure doesn't respond for a second. Maybe I'm so deep into unconsciousness that I'm now seeing things.

The figure crouches down so that it's eye level with me. Then it tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and cups my cheeks with their hands. It traces my lips with it's thumb.

If this is real life, I don't know why I haven't pushed them away yet. But there's something about it's presence that makes me feel safe.

Before I can even fully process these thoughts, it's lips are on mine.

I kiss back immediately. Why? I don't know. But at this point, I'm too confused with everything to care.

We pull apart, panting for air. Then the figure utters the words:

"Tris."

I now know how this is.

"Tobias?" I ask. I choke back the tears as I think that he came all this way, risked getting caught, just for _me._

"I'm sorry." He starts, sighing and looking down. "I was angry and upset, and I should have understood that you didn't want me. I just wanted to feel you once before letting you go."

This can't be happening. "Why? Why are you letting me go?"

He takes my hand in his. "Because all I want is for you to be happy. If you're happy-" he glances up at me with a small smile on his face. "Then I'm happy. And if you're not happy with me, then I would practically be torturing myself and you."

A small tear falls off my cheek. How can someone be so amazing?

I shake my head weakly. "No, Tobias... I'm the one who should be sorry. I got mad at you for no reason-"

"It's okay, Tris. You don't have to apologize." He interrupts. Then he takes out what seems to be some band-aids from his pocket and says, "Let me clean you up,"

"Tobias-" I start, but he's already started. If he won't let me finish my sentence, I don't know when I can tell him again.

"Tobias I love you." I blurt out after a few minutes of silence. He stops his actions and looks at me.

"I love you too, Tris." He says, smiling, before resuming. Of course he meant that as friends.

"No, Tobias. I love you, I'm _in love_ with you." He stops and looks at me again, analyzing if I'm being serious or not.

"What did you say?" He whispers.

"I-" I'm cut off by the smash of glass, presumably a beer bottle, from downstairs.

"Tobias, when did you get here?" I ask frantically.

"I think it was five thirty." He answers, his eyes wide.

"Quick! Hide under-" My plans were foiled as Andrew steps into my room.

"What are you doing here with Marcus' kid?" He yells at me, lunging for me. "I thought I told you to stay away from him!"

"No!" Tobias says, standing in Andrew's path. "It's my fault. I was the one who came here. She didn't do anything."

Andrew points an accusing finger at Tobias. "I'm going to tell Marcus. Just you watch!" Then looking at me, he says, "Don't think you got with anything just yet." Then he slams the door behind him.

"Tobias-" I say, trying to apologize, but am cut off yet again by his voice.

"I have to go before Marcus finds out. I'll see you later," He says before leaving out the window.

I let my tears fall, worry for Tobias showing. Who knows what Marcus will do to him? And what's worse is that he got in trouble for me. _Me._ I was so close to telling him, but stupid Andrew got in the way. I guess I'll have to tell him tomorrow then, if Marcus lets him out of the house.

* * *

 **TOBIAS  
**

I leave her house and run to my own. All of hell will reign down on me today, but it was worth it.

She told me that she loved me. That she was _in love_ with me.

That is the thing I concentrate on as the belt lashes against me with one of my worst beatings yet.

Marcus decides to leave me alone a few hours later, giving me a kick in the ribs for a good measure. I get up, slowly, wincing at even the slightest movements. I don't think I've ever felt this weak after a beating before. But it was thanks to her that I was able to get through it.

Speaking of her, I need to find out what it was that she wanted to say. Was it that she wanted us to get back together?

With this hope in mind, I walk out of the house, trying to ignore the throbbing in my head and pain in my back.

A few minutes later, I'm a few houses away from hers. Suddenly, I feel something bump into me. Hard. Wincing, I rub my shoulder, the main place of the impact.

"Sorry!" Some boy says to me, picking up the ball that was launched at me before brushing passed me, hitting me again on my other shoulder. The pain that I feel now has intensified and is enough to make me throw up.

The next thing I know, I fall.

* * *

I wake up again not knowing where I am. I can hear faint murmurs in the background. They both sound like feminine voices, though one sounds more familiar than the other.

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" The non-familiar voice asks. The other person must have non verbally responded, because I hear a shuffling and then a silence.

The person who is in the room take my hand. They feel soft, like how I imagine an angel would.

"Tobias," the person whispers. Wait a minute, how do they know my name?

There's only one person who knows my real name.

... Tris...?

"Tobias, I'm sorry. Tobias, I-" She takes in a sharp breath. "Tobias, I love you, and I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I would have just told you how I felt earlier none of this would have happened."

I want to tell her that that's not true, that I'm the stupid one, not her, but I can't move.

"They say you have a concussion, though I think we both know who's fault that is." I imagine her rolling her eyes at this. " _But_ , they also said that you might be able to hear me, since you're in a weird state of coma." I want to smile at her description of my current state. "So I'm going to say what I need to say. I mean... better late than never, right?" I can tell she's nervous about this, but again, I can't to anything to help her.

"Tobias, I meant what I said earlier. I really do love you, the _in love_ with you kind of love. I've known it all along. Ever since we were best friends, I loved you. When you broke up with me, I couldn't stand it. Tobias, you were - and still are - the most important person in my life, and I didn't know how to cope without you. And when I saw you with Nita, I got so frustrated, because I thought that you didn't feel the same way that I did, that you used Andrew as an excuse to break up."

She takes a shaky breath in before continuing. "But then I remembered everything that you've done for me when we were younger, and even now, you cared more about me than yourself. And now I realize, Tobias, that you really _do_ love me as much as I love you. And I'm sorry for ever doubting that."

There's a moment of silence after this, and I feel her lips on my cheek as she gives me a kiss. She pulls away, but only slightly, as I can feel her breath on my cheek.

"Tobias, I love you, I love you, I love you. I can say it a million times and it still wouldn't express how much I love you. I _need_ you, Tobias, I need you in my life. I don't think I can live without you, not anymore." Her breathing falters and I feel something wet fall onto my cheek. Now, more than ever, I want to kiss her.

"So please, Tobias, come back. I know you can do it. Please. I don't care if I'm being selfish. I need you. I need you." She whispers the last part and I can hear her quiet sobs in the background.

 _She needs you Tobias. She needs you._

I try, so so hard, to squeeze her hand that's still holding mine.

She stops crying after my attempt. "Tobias?"

That must mean I was successful. I try again with all my might.

"Yes, Tobias, keep squeezing my hand," she coaxes and I try again, again, again.

"Tobias," She asks. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

They feel as heavy as lead, but I try anyway. _For her._

When I do, I am met with her beautiful blue-grey eyes. She smiles and I try to smile back.

I am vaguely aware of the machines and nurses around us, but I don't care. To me, it's just us.

She softly touches the bandage on my forehead before looking back at me. "I'm guessing that you hear everything then, didn't you?"

"Yeah." I say, voice still slightly hoarse. I give her hand a squeeze before saying. "I love you too. More than words can express. You're the world to me, Tris. And I say, I don't give a shit about Andrew and Marcus and what they think. What matters is what I think, and I think that you are beautiful, kind, brave, and selfless, and I want you to be mine."

Her smile widens as she looks down at me. "I want that too."

I pull her in for a kiss, thinking that now that I have her, everything is okay.

Because she's my best friend, my soulmate, my life saver.

That's the way it always was.

And that's the way it's going to stay.

* * *

 **This is the last chapter, unless you guys want an epilogue. Please review with your opinion!**


	19. Chapter 19: Epilogue

**Here's an epilogue chapter, dedicated to you guys :)**

 **I've decided that it's going to be little snippets of their life and future. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 19: Epilogue

 **TOBIAS**

Tris laughs, and it's music to my ears. Currently she lies on the hospital bed beside me. While it's not the most comfortable position to be in, I wouldn't have it any other way. As long as she's with me, I'm comfortable.

A period of silence washes over us. She cuddles to my side and traces patterns on my chest as I take a deep breath of her intoxicating scent.

"Tris?" I ask, my thoughts interrupting the silence.

"Yeah?" She says, looking up at me curiously.

"How did you find me? And what did you tell the doctor?" I just realized that it must not have been easy to get me here, or to lie if she did.

"You didn't come to school, and I got really worried. So I decided to go to your house. As soon as I went outside I saw you lying there. So I called the ambulance. When they asked me what happened, I panicked. I told them everything, Tobias." She explains, stopping her actions to look at me. "I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry."

I take her hand and kiss it softly, ignoring the physical pain that it brings me. "Tris, it's okay. At least he will get the repercussions that he deserves." I say, and we return to silence.

"But what about Andrew?" I ask, once again breaking the silence.

"When you were still in coma I went home and found a note on the table. I think I still have it," she says, shuffling around so that she can reach her back pocket. "Here," she says, handing it to me once she finds it.

 _I've gone to Pennsylvania for work. It might be permanent, so I'm_ _living with Caleb. I will continue to pay for the house and I've left $5000 for you, but I expect you to take care of everything else._

 _Good riddance,_

 _Andrew_

I frown reading the letter. "Aren't you worried about Caleb?" I ask.

Tris sighs and shakes her head. "Nope. Once he went to college, he never looked back. Besides, Andrew always liked him better than me. I doubt he'll be abused like I was."

I sigh. "Well, at least we won't have to deal with the monsters that used to control our life anymore," I say, trying to look on the bright side of things.

Tris smiles up at me. "Yeah. And with you back with me, I wouldn't have it any other way."

I smile back, and we kiss, sealing our love.

* * *

"Tobias!" Tris squeals and flings herself at me. My hands, sweaty from the humidity of the gym and my graduation gown, catch her in my arms.

Giving me a kiss on the cheek, she says, "I'm so proud of you." I give her kiss in return.

Today is my graduation day. I've finally made through high school, with Tris by my side. I decided to major in computer science, since it will be a good paying job that could support Tris and I.

Marcus has finally been put to jail, and I convinced the police to let me go since I'm almost eighteen now. Tris has been living in her house, with me as her frequent visitor. We've talked about the future, and we're both planning on finding our own place once Tris graduates too. We want to be free from the restraints that our fathers have placed on us.

Graduating is just the first step.

* * *

"Hey, baby." I say, giving her a peck on the lips as I sit next to her at the dining table.

"Still looking for colleges?" I ask. It's currently midnight, and Tris is all over the place with trying to decide where she wants to go. I'm going to the Illinois Institute of Technology, which happens to be in Chicago so that I can still visit Tris from time to time.

She rubs her temples before looking at me. "Yeah. Originally I wanted to go to your college so that we could live closer together but they don't have any good courses for my career interest. _And_ I also want to stay in Chicago, so that I can visit you." She sighs, slamming her head on the table dramatically. I kiss the back of her head and rub her back.

"It'll be okay." I tell her in an attempt to soothe her nerves. Then I look at the different pamphlets that are scattered at the table. Tris wanted to do something with art, since she recently found that she's pretty good at it, and she says it helps her calm down.

"Hey, Tris," I say, picking up the brochure for the American Academy of Art. "I've passed this college on my way to my own." She looks up curiously as I flip through it. "Seems to be interesting. And the costs aren't extremely terrible."

Tris takes the leaflet from my hands and reads it carefully. Then, she says, "Wow, you're right." Throwing it on the table, she says, "Yup. This is the one."

I smile and give her a kiss, laughing at Tris's face, which seems to be extremely relieved. I hope she gets in, she certainly deserves it.

* * *

Tris sighs, spinning 360 degrees and placing her hands on her hips. "I guess this'll have to do for now."

"Yeah," I tell her, taking a look around myself. "Hopefully once you start working and earning we can find a better place."

She sighs again. Tris is a senior in college, and I was lucky enough to be able to start working at a start-up straight out of college. "I hope you're right."

We decided to take our first step today as a now 4-year couple and rent an apartment. It has two bedrooms and one bathroom, and a small kitchen and living area.

It's small, but it'll do for now. Comfy and cozy.

Soon, though, I'm hoping to find a bigger place, for our children.

Yes, I'm hoping to marry her and grow a family together. I used to fear of becoming like Marcus, but now, I know that with her by my side, I'll never do such a thing. I think she feels similarly.

I just hope she wants me though. Because I sure as hell want her.

* * *

"Tobias..." She groans as I lead her further into the woods, taking her to our 'special place', as I like to call it. It's the same place where we reunited as friends, and where we recognized our feelings for each other. Seems pretty damn special to me.

"Okay... almost there... open!" I say, removing the palms of my hands from her eyes. She gasps and smiles at me.

I set up a little picnic with some Chinese take-out, since that is still her favorite food.

"Thanks so much, Tobias." She tells me as we sit down on the checkered mat.

Throughout the night, I'm too nervous to process things properly. All I can concentrate on is the fact that she's beautiful and that in a matter of minutes she could be mine.

Once we've eaten enough food for days, I take her hand in mine, making her stand as I kneel down on the ground. She looks confused for a second, but a look of recognition shadows her face and I can see a small smile.

"Tris Prior, you have been the love of my life, ever since the day I met you. And I want to keep you and our love in my heart forever. So, will you marry me?" I ask her, opening the box that contains her engagement ring.

I see tears forming in her eyes, and she says, "Yes, Tobias. Yes." Smiling, I slip the ring onto her finger, and we share a sweet kiss.

* * *

"Daddy!" My daughter, Belle, yells as I enter the house. Tris and I managed to find a place that is better than our old apartment, since Tris found a job as an elementary school art teacher. We had Belle four years ago and I became a father for the first time.

"There's my baby!" I say, picking her up and spinning her around as she squeals with laughter. Tris laughs at us from the kitchen.

Nuzzling my nose in her stomach, I tickle her, and Belle laughs loudly. It's one of my favorite sounds, right beside Tris's laughter. Tris joins us on the other side of the counter, smiling at the two of us.

Setting Belle down, I tell her, "Why don't you go color in your coloring book?" Ever since Belle found out that a princess had the same name as her, she immediately got obsessed with everything princess-related, including princess coloring books. Obviously we didn't name her Belle after the princess - rather, we took one look at her and knew she was the most beautiful thing ever.

Belle nods and runs off to her room.

Once Belle is out of ear-shot, I turn to Tris. "How was your day?" I ask, kissing her on the cheek.

"It was okay, I guess." Then shaking her head, she says, "But Juan thought it would be fun to spill his paper plate that had _fresh_ _paint_ on it." She tells me, groaning at the memory. "And guess who had to clean it up?" She asks, pointing at herself.

"Well, that's why you're amazing. You're like... a supermom," I say, trying to bring up her hopes. She laughs.

"And you're sure that's not just because I have an amazing husband to support me?" She asks with the quirk of an eyebrow. I roll my eyes. Complimenting each other is just something that we do these days, especially when work gets rough or Belle gets cranky.

"I love you." I say suddenly. Both her eyebrows raise at this comment.

"I love you too?" She says, unsure. Then the real question, "Why _that_ all of a sudden?"

I shrug and sigh. "I don't know. I just felt like saying it, since we've both been so busy lately that I haven't really been able to tell you that as often as I would like."

Tris smiles and we kiss.

And I feel happy, _true_ happiness, because now, my family is finally complete.

* * *

The color gray used to remind me of the dire days when I was abused by Marcus. The house walls: gray. His favorite color: gray. Gray became a color that I associated with everything bad that happened in my life.

But it is now when I begin to realize that gray means growing old with Tris. And that is the exact opposite of terrible.

We sit at the park bench, watching our grandkids play, and I am reminded of the time when Tris and I were young like that.

Tris has a small smile on her face as she says, "Wow... it seems like just yesterday when I found out that you were Four."

Smirking I turn to face her. "It was yesterday that we found out about each other, when I realized that you were Tris."

Smiling, she places her palms on my chest. "That we started dating."

"That we broke up." I say, continuing.

"That we got back together again." She says solemnly.

I take her hand in mine and kiss it softly. "If there's one thing that hasn't changed, it's that I love you."

Now wrapping her arms around my neck, she says, "I love you too." She pulls me in for a kiss.

When we weren't together, it was torture. Dealing with Marcus all by myself, thinking how she was miles away... it was pure hell without her. At one point in time, being her friend was an honor in itself. But now, I am complete, even more that I ever have been.

Because she, she is everything.

* * *

 **A/N:** I want to thank every single person who helped me in this five month journey. When I started writing this story, I never expected anyone to read it, let alone _like_ it, but here we are, with 49 follows and 34 favorites. This story has improved my writing increasingly, and has motivated me to take on other writing challenges, such as the one-shots that I have written. But I wouldn't have been able to do it without the increasing support of all of you. So thanks. Seriously.

This isn't goodbye. I have another story, "Love Can't Be Muted", that I'm working on, and some one-shots that have been circulating my mind for days. I hope to be seeing y'all in the future! And if not, then still, your support has - and will always be - most appreciated. :)


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